Anti-drone cartridge and bullet

Abstract

An apparatus includes a bullet assembly having a first housing portion, a second housing portion in physical contact with the first housing portion, and a connector coupled to the first and second housing portions. The connector maintains a connection between the first and second housing portions when the first and second housing portions separate subsequent to firing of the bullet assembly from a rifled barrel of a firearm. The bullet assembly also includes a core coupled to the connector. The core comprises a first portion about which the connector is wound in a first direction opposite to a second direction corresponding to rotation of the first and second housing portions subsequent to firing of the bullet assembly and the core allows the connector to unwind freely as the first and second housing portions subsequent to firing of the bullet assembly until the connector is unwound fully from the core.

Description

ANTI-DRONE CARTRIDGE AND BULLETCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a Non-Provisional Application claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63,738,977 filed on December 26, 2024, claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 744,204 filed on January 11, 2025, claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 831,842 filed on June 27, 2025, claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 841,120 filed on July 9, 2025, claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 888,444 filed September 26, 2025, and claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 929,339 filed December 2, 2025, each of which is herein incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a cartridge and bullet that may be utilized in the disabling or destruction of a drone.

[0003] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and / or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0004] Unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly referred to as UAVs or drones, have become a leading threat on both the battlefield and in the civilian sector globally. Drones are currently being used extensively to transport explosive materials or incendiary materials to destroy targets both civilian and military, at times simultaneously destroying the drone, all while the drone is piloted remotely, autonomously, or through preprogramed software. The advent of low cost, attritable drones, or swarms of hundreds or thousands of such drones, have shifted the dynamic of modern warfare and present unprecedentedthreats to civilian targets. Drones commonly use rotary blades to generate lift that, when disabled, render the drone inoperable.

[0005] Counter-drone or Counter-UAV (“C-UAV”) defensive measures generally fall into two categories: 1) Electromagnetic (“EM”) defensive measures are those that disrupt a threat UAV by use of directed energy along the breadth of the electromagnetic spectrum, from directed laser energy to disrupt or disable drones to directed microwave and radio frequency energy to jam, disrupt or disable a threat UAV or its communications or navigation systems; and 2) kinetic defensive measures, which physically impart force directly to destroy or disable a threat UAV.

[0006] C-UAV defensive systems that rely upon disrupting or disabling a drone through directed EM waves can in turn, be countered by use of shielding to protect the target drone from the incoming EM waves, or through use of fly-by-wire remote operation using fiberoptic cabling in EM-denied areas where the electromagnetic defensive measures would otherwise render a threat drone vulnerable to EM attacks. Kinetic solutions can be as simple as a throwing a rock, shooting a traditional bullet, throwing a rifle, or by directing a defensive drone that simply crashes into the threat UAV to kinetically destroy or disable the threat UAV. In addition to threat UAV trespassing issues, unwanted and improper monitoring and surveillance are also an undesirable and common problem presented by UAVs and drones. It would be advantageous to be able to kinetically disable or destroy a drone using a projectile, which can be fired from any rifled firearm, which improves targeting accuracy by increasing the area of kinetic impact far beyond that of a traditional bullet.SUMMARY

[0007] A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.

[0008] Embodiment herein provides a solution to the problem of disabling a drone through firing a cartridge that utilizes the centrifugal force generated in a rifled barrel, airfoils, mechanical springs and concave air-drag spreaders, to send a spinning, spread, weighted net or line towards a target drone from a cartridge that is capable of being loaded into a firearm without any adaptation of the firearm or specialized equipment beyond purchase of the cartridge. Present embodiments include a cartridge inclusive of a bullet assembly that, upon firing, transforms into a spinning web or line similar to a fishing cast-net, capable of entangling and disabling a drone when directed accurately at the drone target. For ease of reference, the analogy to a fishing cast-net is a helpful way to conceptualize the portions of the present disclosure referred to herein as a drone-net. The spreading force generated by the mechanisms described below result in part from the centrifugal force generated by the bullet assembly’s spin generated while traveling through a rifled barrel, which is a common feature of most firearms. Present embodiments include an anti-drone cartridge that conforms to standard cartridge dimensions of various calibers and can therefore be loaded as typical cartridges are loaded into conventional firearms. However, in operation, they result in a spinning weighted line or net capable of entangling and disabling drones from a substantial distance.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a cartridge inclusive of a first embodiment of a bullet assembly, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the cartridge of FIG. 2, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0012] FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the core as well as housing portions of the first embodiment of the bullet assembly of FIG. 2, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0013] FIG. 4 illustrates another view of the core and housing portion of the bullet assembly of FIG. 2, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG. 5 illustrates a second embodiment of a bullet assembly of the cartridge of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded view of the second embodiment of the bullet assembly of FIG. 5, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of the bullet assembly of FIG. 1 in operation, in accordance with an embodiment;

[0017] FIG. 8 illustrates a third embodiment of a bullet assembly, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 9 illustrates an exploded view of the third embodiment of the bullet assembly of FIG. 8, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0019] FIG. 10 illustrates a top view of a fourth embodiment of a bullet assembly of the cartridge of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective view of the fourth embodiment of the bullet assembly of FIG. 10, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG. 12 illustrates a first view of the bullet assembly of FIG. 10 at a first time during operation, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG. 13 illustrates a second view of the bullet assembly of FIG. 10 at a second time during operation, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 14 illustrates a top view of a fifth embodiment of a bullet assembly of the cartridge of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG. 15 illustrates a perspective view of the fifth embodiment of the bullet assembly of FIG. 14, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0025] FTG. 16 illustrates a first view of the bullet assembly of FIG. 14 at a first time during operation, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG. 17 illustrates a second view of the bullet assembly of FIG. 14 at a second time during operation, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG. 18 illustrates a top view of a sixth embodiment of a bullet assembly of the cartridge of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG. 19 illustrates a perspective view of the sixth embodiment of the bullet assembly of FIG. 18, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 20 illustrates a first view of the bullet assembly of FIG. 18 at a first time during operation, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG. 21 illustrates a second view of the bullet assembly of FIG. 18 at a second time during operation, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 22 illustrates a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of a bullet assembly of the cartridge of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG. 23 illustrates a perspective view of the inner portions of the bullet assembly of the cartridge of FIG. 22, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 24 illustrates a perspective view of a segment of the bullet assembly of the cartridge of FIG. 22, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG. 25 illustrates a second perspective view of the segment of the bullet assembly of FIG. 22, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG. 26 illustrates an exploded view of the bullet assembly of FIG. 22 with a first embodiment of a tether, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG. 27 illustrates a second exploded view of the bullet assembly of FIG. 22 with a second embodiment of a tether in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0037] FTG. 28 illustrates a seventh embodiment of a bullet assembly, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; and

[0038] FIG. 29 illustrates an exploded view of the bullet assembly of FIG. 28, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers’ specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and enterprise-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0040] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

[0041] As used herein, the terms “connect,” “connection,” “connected,” “in connection with,” and “connecting” are used to mean “in direct connection with” or “in connection with via one or more elements”; and the term “set” is used to mean “one element” or “more than one element.” Further, the terms “couple,” “coupling,” “coupled,” “coupled together,” and “coupled with” are used to mean “directly coupled together” or “coupled together via one or more elements.”

[0042] Tn addition, as used herein, the terms “real-time,” “real-time,” or “substantially real-time” may be used interchangeably and are intended to described operations (e.g., computing operations) that are performed without any human-perceivable interruption between operations. For example, data relating to the systems described herein may be collected, transmitted, and / or used in control computations in “substantially real-time”, such that data readings, data transfers, and / or data processing steps may occur once every second, once every 0.1 second, once every 0.01 second, or even more frequent, during operations of the systems (e g., while the systems are operating). In addition, as used herein, the terms “automatic” and “automated” are intended to describe operations that are performed are caused to be performed, for example, solely by analysis system without human intervention.

[0043] The present disclosure relates to a projectile, for example, a bullet assembly. The projectile can be part of an anti-drone cartridge and can include multiple components. Examples of these components, their interaction, and their operation (as well as the operation of the projectile) are set forth herein. In some embodiments, the projectile (also referred to herein as a bullet assembly) can include a main body / housing. The main body can include drone-net weights (e.g., housing portions), which also form at least a portion of the main exterior body (e.g., housing) of the projectile (e g., bullet assembly) in its initial pre-firing form (e.g., as a cartridge), and which separate upon firing to allow for spreading of the weighted edges of the drone-net, and are connected to a second element of the cartridge, the drone-net.

[0044] The drone-net weights are comprised of materials (metals or alloys) of sufficient mass and strength to withstand deforming during handling, loading, or firing, and of sufficient mass and strength to withstand forces perpendicular to the bullet assembly’s direction of travel when acted upon by those mechanisms described herein, thereby facilitating the spreading of the drone-net weights and the unfurling of the drone-net to which they are attached, all while remaining connected. The drone-net weights, when arranged in their initial pre-firing cartridge form, can include a concave cap at the top / center of the initial pre-firing cartridge form that upon firing will encounter air-drag that will generate a force perpendicular to the direction of travel to the bullet assemblywhen leaving the barrel of the firearm, thereby spreading the drone-net weights and the unfurling the drone-net to which they are attached. The drone-net weights can either be joined through the force of being inserted into the cartridge casing alone, and through alternative mechanisms, including the use of perforated couplings that separate upon firing through the force resulting from the gunpowder pushing the bullet assembly forward.

[0045] One embodiment includes perforated couplings between adjoining drone-net weights, with the perforated couplings made of a material that is sufficiently robust as to not separate during routine handling / loading of the cartridge, but such couplings will break (and therefore separate out all drone-net weights) when subject to the force generated by firing the cartridge and discharge of the primer and gunpowder in the ammunition. One embodiment includes such drone-net weights joined through perforated couplings with adjoining drone-net weights sitting at a staggered distance from a solid cylindrical ring sitting upon / separated from the casing (and between the gunpowder in the cartridge and the projectile / anti-drone bullet assembly) such that the solid ring that will travel towards the end of the muzzle upon firing, and because the drone-net weights are of staggered distances from the ring, the ring will push half of the drone-net weights forward prior to the other half of the drone-net weights being pushed forward, resulting in a separation of the drone-net weights by severing the perforated couplings, at which point each drone-net weight will be fully separated and independent of any other drone-net weight (though still attached to the drone-net), with all drone-net weights aligned prior to exiting through the firearm barrel after firing (and subsequent separation) to unfurl the drone-net.

[0046] The drone-net weights can also, in their initial pre-firing cartridge form, be connected by one more compressed mechanical spring(s) at one or more central locations that have stored potential energy that is / are released upon firing the cartridge, and when the compressed spring’s tension is / are released upon firing, the resulting force pushes the drone-net weights away from the axis of the bullet assembly at a perpendicular direction of travel to the bullet assembly’s direction of travel, thereby spreading the drone-net weights and the drone-net to which they are attached. An alternative embodiment of the spring would act to mitigate against the centrifugal force and thereby decrease the drone-net spread-speed. Mechanisms to allow for the release of the compressed mechanicalspring’s tension can include use of differential engagement similar to the perforated coupling separation upon firing, such that firing the cartridge will result in the removal of an obstacle such that the spring will decompress and push out all drone-net weights at a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the bullet assembly when leaving the barrel of the firearm, thereby spreading the drone-net weights and the drone-net to which they are attached.

[0047] The continuing centrifugal motion generated by the rifled barrel, the spreading and spin-generating mechanisms described herein, result in a continuing force that maintains a fully deployed drone-net surface area as it travels towards the target drone, increasing the probability of the drone-net hitting and disabling the drone, until such time as the kinetic motion of the drone-net is overcome by gravity or encounters a physical impediment.

[0048] One embodiment of the bullet assembly includes air-foils on the exterior of the drone-net weights to increase the spin to generate additional centrifugal motion, by transitioning air drag experienced by the drone-bullet assembly after firing into motion perpendicular to the forward motion of the drone bullet assembly, the resulting force pushes each drone-net weight away at a perpendicular direction of travel to the projectile’s direction of travel, thereby spreading the drone-net weights and the drone-net to which they are attached.

[0049] The drone-net is constructed of one or more threads / strands / filaments of flexible high-strength and low-weight material, including single-strand or woven graphene, aramid fibers, aromatic polyamide fibers, cellulose nanofibers, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, metals or alloys, or some combination of such materials, or other extremely light-weight / high-strength material(s), capable of being joined into a single line or weblike net of filaments, arranged into a single line or spider-web-like net of fixed or varying net-hole sizes, strong enough to withstand the force of being fired from a firearm, being deployed into a spinning line or net that remains connected to the drone-net weights after firing, and strong enough to remain intact and interrupt / foul the travel of the lift-generating blades of a drone through entanglement of the line or net into the drone’s blades, thereby disabling a drone and its ability to fly.

[0050] The drone-net, defined to include a single line or more, connects each drone-net weight to each other so as to form a circle when fully extended, and when fully unfurled while spinning towards the target the interior of such circle is composed of the single line or web-like net of filaments, which in certain embodiments can be arranged into a spiderweb-like net of fixed or varying net-hole sizes, so as to effectively engage and entangle a drone.

[0051] Prior to firing the anti-drone cartridge, the drone-net is packed in a manner that allows it to unfurl cleanly (i.e., without tangling) when the drone-net weights spread after firing. One embodiment includes a mechanism of packing similar to twisting a fishing cast-net prior to generating spin to unfurl it while throwing the net. Prior to firing, the packed drone-net is tucked within the drone-net weights, such that it forms the interior of the anti-drone cartridge prior to firing, and is only deployed after the anti-drone cartridge is fired and the drone-net weights have unpacked the drone net after spreading due to the centrifugal force generated in a rifled barrel, air-foils, mechanical springs and concave airdrag spreaders.

[0052] Remaining aspects of the ammunition, including the components, dimensions and caliber, remain such that the projectile is capable of being loaded into and used by various firearms (9mm, 5.56, 7.62, .50 BMG (Browning Heavy Machine Gun), etc.) without any adaptation of the firearm or specialized equipment.

[0053] Another embodiment of the drone-net is use of electrically conductive materials for the drone-net filaments, as well as a battery of stored electricity that is released through the electrically conductive material upon firing, thereby introducing a surge of electricity upon contact with the drone, adding to the potential impact not only on physically entangling the drone blades and rendering it incapable of flying, but also interrupting and disabling its electrical and communication systems, thereby rendering the drone both mechanically and electronically incapacitated. Another embodiment uses each of the drone-net weights as a battery with stored electricity that is discharged into the conductive drone-net, either simultaneously resulting in the greatest electrical surge or in a staggeredfashion to result in surges of electricity through the drone-net over a longer time period after firing the anti-drone cartridge.

[0054] The embodiments of the bullet assemblies and associated cartridges discussed herein can be fired from any weapon with a rifled barrel. This can include hand-held weapons, rifles, etc. The bullet assemblies and associated cartridges can also be coupled to motorized vehicles, for example, trucks, tanks, boats, ships, or areal vehicles including drones, aircraft, helicopters, and the like. In this manner, the bullet assemblies and associated cartridges describe herein can be used as ammunition as fired by rifled barrel weapons either carried by a human or by a land, air, or sea vehicle whereby the weapon is mounted to and / or fired from the vehicle and the ammunition fired includes an embodiment of the present bullet assembly.

[0055] With foregoing in mind, FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a cartridge 10, for example, an anti-drone cartridge. As illustrated, the cartridge 10 can include a bullet assembly 12 that is fired from the cartridge 10. The cartridge 10, as illustrated, further includes a cartridge case 14 used to store propellant (e.g., gunpowder, cordite, or the like). Also illustrated is a rim 16 that can, for example, provide a grip point for a firearm extractor to remove the cartridge case 14 from the chamber of a firearm. The cartridge 10 can also include a base 18, which can include, for example, a primer that operates to ignite the propellant to cause the bullet assembly 12 to pass through a rifled barrel of the firearm.

[0056] On the shelf, the cartridge 10 can be sized to match industry standard accepted specifications and dimensions of conventional rounds and sized to be fired in conventional firearms (e.g., handguns, rifles, etc.) that include a rifled barrel. However, once fired, the bullet assembly 12 does not operate in a manner to a conventional bullet fired from a firearm. That is, while a conventional bullet maintains its bullet shape subsequent to being fired from a firearm, the bullet assembly 12 of FIG. 1 operates to separate. For example, the bullet assembly includes a housing 20. This housing 20, as will be discussed in greater detail below, includes at least two housing portions (or segments). These housing portions each have a tether attached thereto and due to the rotation imparted by the barrel of the firearm, when fired, the bullet assembly operates to separate. The tether of each housingportion keeps the portions coupled to one another (either directly or via a core of the bullet assembly 12). In this manner, the bullet assembly 12, when in flight, becomes a spinning, spread, weighted net directed towards a target (e.g., a drone) when fired from the firearm. Moreover, while in operation, the bullet assembly 12 of the cartridge 10 differs from a traditional bullet of a traditional cartridge, since the bullet assembly 12 of the cartridge 10 is able to unfurl subsequent to its being loaded into a firearm and fired therefrom without any adaptation of the firearm or specialized equipment beyond purchase of the cartridge 10.

[0057] FIG. 2 illustrates the cartridge 10 as being sized to match a traditional 9mm round. However, as noted above, the cartridge can be sized to match alternate traditional round sizes. Also illustrated in FIG. 2 is the fully assembled bullet assembly 12 (e.g., projectile) as separated from the cartridge case 14. As part of the cartridge 10, a gas check 22 can be utilized. The gas check 22 can be a metal fitting (e.g., cap or other barrier) made out of aluminum, copper, or another metal or material that operates to protect the bullet assembly 12 from heat and / or pressure from the gasses generated during the ignition of the propellant of the cartridge when fired. The gas check 22 can, in this manner, operate to prevent unwanted deformation and / or melting of the bullet assembly when the cartridge is fired from a firearm.

[0058] FIG. 2 also shows an exploded view of housing 20 including a (first) housing portion 24 and a (second) housing portion 26. While two housing portions 24, 26 are illustrated, it is understood that more housing portions can be present. Additionally, housing portion 24 and housing portion 26 are illustrated as being symmetrical. However, asymmetrical housing portions that form housing 20 can instead be utilized.

[0059] In some embodiments, housing portion 24 and housing portion 26 can be combined to be housing 20 in its entirety. Alternatively, housing portion 24 and housing portion 26 can be combined to be at least a portion of housing 20. For example, in some embodiments, a core 28 is also present as part of the bullet assembly 12. The core 28, in some embodiments, can include an upper portion that can additionally be a portion of housing20. For example, the upper portion of the core 28 can be the tip of housing 20 and can form housing 20 when taken together with housing portion 24 and housing portion 26.

[0060] Each of housing portion 24 and housing portion 26 includes a cavity 30. However, it is envisioned that only one cavity 30 is present in either housing portion 24 or housing portion 26. The cavity 30 can be sized to include at least a portion of the core 28. Additionally, a tether 32 is illustrated. The cavity 30 can be sized to include the tether 32. As illustrated, the tether 32 is wound around the core 28. In some embodiments, the tether 32 can be a single thread, multiple threads / strands / filaments of flexible high-strength and low-weight material, including single-strand or woven graphene, aramid fibers, aromatic polyamide fibers, cellulose nanofibers, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, metals or alloys, or some combination of such materials, or other extremely light-weight / high-strength material(s), capable of being joined into a single line or a web-like net of filaments, arranged into a spider-web-like net of fixed or varying net-hole sizes, strong enough to withstand the force of being fired from a firearm, being deployed into a spinning line or net that remains connected to the drone-net weights after firing, and strong enough to remain intact and interrupt / foul the travel of the lift-generating blades of a drone through entanglement of the line or net into the drone’s blades, thereby disabling a drone and its ability to fly.

[0061] A tether 32 is attached or otherwise directly coupled to each of housing portion 24 and housing portion 26. That tether 32 can provide for direct coupling of housing portion 24 to housing portion 26. Alternatively, a tether 32 can be attached or otherwise coupled to each of housing portion 24 and housing portion 26 as well as the core 28. In this manner, the tether 32 directly couples housing portion 24 to the core 28, directly couples housing portion 26 to the core 28, and indirectly couples housing portion 24 to housing portion 26. In other embodiments, multiple tethers 32 can be utilized. For example, a first tether 32 can be attached or otherwise directly coupled to housing portion 24 and the core 28 and a second tether 32 can be attached or otherwise directly coupled to housing portion 26 as well as the core 28. In this manner, the first tether 32 directly couples housing portion 24 to the core 28, the second tether 32 directly couples housing portion 26 to the core 28, and housing portion 24 and housing portion 26 are indirectly coupled to one another via thefirst tether 32, the second tether 32, and the core 28. Other configurations that couple housing portions of housing 20 can be implemented similarly.

[0062] FIG. 3 illustrates a side view 34 of the core 28 inclusive of the tether 32. For the purposes of discussion, reference will be made to tether 32 but it is understood that tether 32 can represent individual tethers each connected to a respective housing portion 24 and housing portion 26. In some embodiments, the tether 32 can be wound about the core 28 in the direction 36 that the bullet assembly 12 will rotate. Winding in direction 36 (e.g., the rotation that the bullet assembly 12 will experience when fired) can be opposite to an unfurling rotation (unwind spin direction 38) that will cause the tether 32 to unfurl. That is, when fired, housing portion 24 and housing portion 26 separate and the tether 32 will unwind in direction 36 due to the rotation in direction 38 of the bullet assembly 12. That is, the winding of the tether 32 may be performed based on the rotation that will be imparted to the bullet assembly 12 so that as the bullet assembly 12 rotates, that rotation will cause the tether 32 to unwind from the core 28. As illustrated, the tether 32 can be disposed on two sections of the core 28 (e.g., winding sections), for example, on opposite sides of (e.g., about) an aperture 40 in the core 28. The separation of the tether 32 allows for the tether 32 to provide separate connections to the respective housing portion 24 and housing portion 24. Additionally, by separating the tether 32, the need for additional braking mechanisms to slow the unspooling of the tether 32 from the core need not be present.

[0063] In some embodiments, the tether 32 can be tied or otherwise affixed (e.g., via adhesion, soldering, etc.) to the core 28 via the aperture 40 in the core 28. This connection of the tether 32 to the core 28 can be on an external portion of the core or an internal portion of the core (e.g., via aperture 40 that leads to a cavity or other opening in the core 28). In some embodiments, the tether 32 can include a knot, ball, wedge, or other blocking element sized larger than the aperture 40 to prevent the tether 32 from being released from the core 28. Likewise, the tether 32 can be coupled to either housing portion 24, 26 via a knot made by passing the tether 32 through apertures 42 in housing portions 24, 26. Other techniques of fastening the tether 32 to housing portions 24, 26 as well as the core 28 are additionally contemplated (e.g., adhesion, soldering, etc.). Likewise, in some embodiments only oneaperture 42 or more than two apertures 42 can be included and allow the tether 32 to pass therethrough.

[0064] As noted above, upon firing, housing portions 24, 26 unfurl from the core 28 due to the rotation of the bullet assembly 12. View 43 illustrates each housing portion 24, 26 as extended from the core 28. The diameter between housing portion 24 and housing portion 26 can be approximately 3 ft. 4 ft. 5 ft. 6 ft., or another value. As housing portions 24, 26 rotate during flight, housing portion 24 and housing portion 26 operate as masses on the end of the tether 32. The outward centrifugal force on the bullet assembly 12 causes housing portion 24 and housing portion 26 to separate and the tether 32 keeps housing portion 24 and housing portion 26 connected, as illustrated in FIG. 6, via the core 28. As illustrated, in a given diameter, there are three masses (housing portion 24, housing portion 26, and core 28) that can operate as anti-drone projectiles. In addition, the tether 32 attached to each of housing portion 24 and housing portion 26 operate to provide fouling action to the drone (e.g., catching rotating blades of a drone, knocking the drone off target, or otherwise entangling the drone). In this manner, the bullet assembly 12 when fired operates as an entanglement weapon consisting of two or more weights attached to cords to ensnare a target.

[0065] FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of the core 28. As illustrated, the core 28 as part of its upper portion, can include a cavity 44. This cavity 44 can have a convex shape and the cavity can operate to house at least a portion of the tether 32. For example, the cavity 44 can provide a channel that houses a cross over of the tether 32 as it is passed through apertures 42 and knotted as being affixed to housing portion 24. As the cavity 44 can be provided in a circumferential manner, the cavity 44 can also operate as a channel to house any additional cross overs of the tether 32 as it is passed through apertures 42 and knotted as being affixed to other respective housing portions, for example, housing portion 26. In this manner, the cavity 44 operates as an anti-crush tether chamber that aligns with the respective apertures 42 (e.g., tie-off holes) of housing portions 24, 26.

[0066] It should be noted that the cartridge 10 can, in some embodiments, utilize less propellant than used in a conventional cartridge. This can allow for an increase in thelength of a bullet assembly 12 of the cartridge 10 relative to a length of a bullet in a traditional cartridge, while allowing the cartridge to still be fired by existing firearms without alteration. For example, the cavity inside of the cartridge case 14 used to store propellant can be reduced in size by approximately 20%, 25%, 30%, 33%, 40%, 50% or another amount and that reduction in size of the cavity inside of the cartridge case 14 used to store propellant can instead be used to lengthen the bullet assembly 12 without impacting the overall dimensions of the cartridge 10.

[0067] While the previous embodiments illustrated a bullet assembly 12 that includes housing portion 24 and housing portion 26, in other embodiments, the core 28 can be omitted. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, another embodiment of a bullet assembly 46 for use in the cartridge 10 is provided. The bullet assembly 46 includes a housing portion 50 and a housing portion 52 that in combination form housing 48 of the bullet assembly 46. While two housing portions 50, 52 are illustrated, it is understood that more housing portions can be present. Additionally, housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 are illustrated as being symmetrical. However, asymmetrical housing portions that form housing 48 can instead be utilized.

[0068] As illustrated, housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 can include an interlocking joint 54 that can be used to connect housing portion 50 and housing portion 52. As illustrated, the interlocking joint 54 can be made via a z-shaped connection present in each of housing portion 50 and housing portion 52. In operation, the z-shaped connection maintains the connection between housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 until it experiences rotation in direction 36 as imparted by the rifling in a barrel of a firearm. At that time, the rotation of the bullet assembly 46 induces separation of housing portion 50 and housing portion 52. However, a tether 32 (or more than one tether 32) can be directly coupled between housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 so that as housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 separate when fired, they remain in contact as masses tethered to one another via tether 32. That is, in operation, housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 operate as a projectile having two separated (i.e., housing portion 50 and housing portion 52) that spin as they travel towards their target with a tether 32 connected therebetween.

[0069] FTG. 6 illustrates an exploded view of the bullet assembly 46. As illustrated, each of housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 includes a cavity 56. The cavity 56 may house the tether 32 when housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 are coupled to one another in the cartridge 10. By allowing the tether 32 to be disposed internal to the bullet assembly 46 without any winding mechanism, the operation of the bullet assembly 46 can function without requiring any unwinding of the tether 32 connected to housing portion 50 and housing portion 52.

[0070] In some embodiments, the tether 32 in the cavity 56 can include a spoke or another element that allows the tether 32 to resist tangling on itself. For example, a diaphragm can be present covering one or more of the cavities 56 with an aperture therein to allow the tether 32 to pass therethrough while still allowing the tether 32 to connect to housing portion 50 and housing portion 52.

[0071] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of the bullet assembly 12 having been fired by a user 58, for example, Major Boothroyd, after having been tasked with disabling a drone 60. As illustrated, Major Boothroyd fires a cartridge 10 from a weapon 62 having a rifled barrel. The rifling of the barrel causes the bullet assembly 12 to rotate during flight and housing portion 24 and housing portion 26 operate as masses on the end of the tether 32. The outward centrifugal force on the bullet assembly 12 causes housing portion 24 and housing portion 26 to separate and the tether 32 keeps housing portion 24 and housing portion 26 connected, as illustrated in FIG. 7, via the core 28. As illustrated, in a given diameter 64, there are three masses (housing portion 24, housing portion 26, and core 28) that can operate as anti-drone projectiles so as to disable the drone 60. In addition, the tether 32 attached to each of housing portion 24 and housing portion 26 operate to provide fouling action to the drone 60 (e.g., catching rotating blades of the drone 60, knocking the drone 60 off target, or otherwise entangling the drone 60) when employed by a user 58, such as Major Boothroyd. In this manner, the bullet assembly 12 when fired operates as an entanglement weapon consisting of two or more weights attached to cords to ensnare a target (i.e., a drone 60).

[0072] As previously noted, aspects of the ammunition, including the components, dimensions and caliber, remain such that the projectile is capable of being loaded into and used by various firearms (9mm, 5.56, 7.62, .50 BMG. etc.) without any adaptation of the firearm or specialized equipment. FIG. 8 illustrates an example of an embodiment of a bullet assembly 68 that can be sized as a .50 caliber round and that can be used, for example, as an anti-drone cartridge. The bullet assembly 68 can be housed by a cartridge case, which can function similarly to cartridge case 14 as it can be used to store propellant, for example, gunpowder, cordite, or the like. The cartridge case used in conjunction with bullet assembly 68 can also include a rim that functions similarly to rim 16, for example, to provide a grip point for a firearm extractor to remove the cartridge case from the chamber of a firearm, as well as a base similar in function to base 18.

[0073] On the shelf, the bullet assembly 68 can be sized to match industry standard accepted specifications and dimensions of conventional rounds and sized to be fired in conventional firearms that include a rifled barrel (e.g., any firearm able to fire .50 caliber rounds). However, once fired, the bullet assembly 68 does not operate in a manner similar to a conventional bullet fired from a firearm. That is, while a conventional bullet maintains its bullet shape subsequent to being fired from a firearm, the bullet assembly 68 of FIG. 8 operates to separate. For example, the bullet assembly 68 includes housing 74 and housing 76. These housings 74 and 76, as will be discussed in greater detail below, each include at least two housing portions (segments). These housing portions each have a tether attached thereto and due to the rotation imparted by the barrel of the firearm, when fired, housing 74 and housing 76 of the bullet assembly 68 each operates to separate. The tether of each housing portion of housing 74 and housing 76 keeps the portions coupled to one another (either directly or via a core of the bullet assembly 68). In this manner, the bullet assembly 68, when in flight, becomes a spinning, spread, weighted net directed towards a target (e.g., a drone) when fired from the firearm. Moreover, while in operation, the bullet assembly 68 differs from a traditional bullet of a traditional cartridge, since the bullet assembly 68 is able to unfurl subsequent to its being loaded into a firearm and fired therefrom without any adaptation of the firearm or specialized equipment beyond purchase of a cartridge inclusive of the bullet assembly 68.

[0074] FTG. 9 illustrates an exploded view of the bullet assembly 68, sized to match a traditional .50 caliber round. However, the cartridge housing the bullet assembly 68 can be sized to match alternate traditional round sizes. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the bullet assembly 68 (e.g., projectile) is separated from any cartridge case and that any cartridge including a cartridge case and the bullet assembly 68 can include elements of the cartridge 10 (e.g., a gas check). However, bullet assembly 68 differs from bullet assembly 12 of cartridge 10 in that the bullet assembly 68 includes housing 74 and housing 76 in place of a single housing 20.

[0075] Housing 74 operates as a lead segment and includes a housing portion 78, housing portion 80, and housing portion 82. While three housing portions 78-82 are illustrated, it is understood that fewer or more housing portions can be present. Additionally, housing portions 78-82 are illustrated as being symmetrical. However, asymmetrical housing portions that form housing 74 can instead be utilized. Additionally, in some embodiments, housing portions can run from the upper portion to the lower portion, such that the combined bullet can be crimped as a single mass by the casing prior to firing, and thereafter separate, in the symmetrical and asymmetrical configurations.

[0076] In some embodiments, housing portions 78-82 can be combined to be housing 74 in its entirety. Alternatively, housing portions 78-82 can be combined to be at least a portion of housing 74. For example, in some embodiments, a core 84 is also present as part of the bullet assembly 68. The core 84, in some embodiments, can include an upper portion that can additionally be a portion of housing 74. For example, the upper portion of the core 84 can be the tip of housing 74 and can form housing 74 when taken together with housing portions 78-82.

[0077] Each of housing portions 78-82 includes a cavity 86. However, it is envisioned that only one cavity 86 may be present in one or more of housing portion 78, housing portion 80, or housing portion 82. The cavity 86 can be sized to include at least a portion of the core 84. Additionally, a tether can be wrapped or wound around the core 84, similar to the tether 32 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The cavity 86 can be sized to include the tether. In some embodiments, the tether can be a single thread, multiplethreads / strands / filaments of flexible high-strength and low-weight material, including single-strand or woven graphene, aramid fibers, aromatic polyamide fibers, cellulose nanofibers, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, metals or alloys, or some combination of such materials, or other extremely light-weight / high-strength material(s), capable of being joined into a single line or a web-like net of filaments, arranged into a spider-web-like net of fixed or varying net-hole sizes, strong enough to withstand the force of being fired from a firearm, being deployed into a spinning line or net that remains connected to the drone-net weights (e.g., housing portions 78-82) after firing, and strong enough to remain intact and interrupt / foul the travel of the lift-generating blades of a drone 60 through entanglement of the line or net into the blades of a drone 60, thereby disabling a drone 60 and its ability to fly.

[0078] A tether is attached or otherwise directly coupled to each of housing portions 78-82. The tether can provide for direct coupling of between housing portions 78-82. Alternatively, a tether can be attached or otherwise coupled to each of housing portions 78-82 as well as the core 84. In this manner, the tether directly couples housing portion 78 to the core 84, directly couples housing portion 80 to the core 84, directly couples housing portion 82 to the core 84, and indirectly couples housing portions 78-82 to one another. In other embodiments, multiple tethers can be utilized. For example, a first tether can be attached or otherwise directly coupled to housing portion 78 and the core 84, a second tether can be attached or otherwise directly coupled to housing portion 80 as well as the core 84, and a third tether can be attached or otherwise directly coupled to housing portion 82 as well as the core 84. In this manner, the first tether directly couples housing portion 78 to the core 84, the second tether directly couples housing portion 80 to the core 84, the third tether directly couples housing portion 82 to the core 84, and housing portions 78-82 are indirectly coupled to one another via the first tether, the second tether, the third tether, and the core 84. Other configurations that couple housing portions 78-82 of housing 74 can similarly be implemented.

[0079] In some embodiments, the tether can be wound about the core 84 in the direction that the bullet assembly 68 will rotate. Winding in this direction (e g., the rotation that the bullet assembly 68 will experience when fired) can be opposite to an unfurling rotation(unwind spin direction) that will cause the tether to unfurl. That is, when fired, housing portions 78-82 separate and the tether will unwind. Thus, the winding of the tether may be performed based on the rotation that will be imparted to the bullet assembly 68 so that as the bullet assembly 68 rotates, that rotation will cause the tether to unwind from the core 84. In some embodiments, the tether can be disposed on two sections of the core 84 (e.g., winding sections), for example, on opposite sides of (e.g., about) an aperture 88 in the core 84. The separation of the tether allows the tether to provide separate connections to the respective housing portions 78-82.

[0080] In some embodiments, the tether can be tied or otherwise affixed (e.g., via adhesion, soldering, etc.) to the core 84 via the aperture 88 in the core 84. This connection of the tether to the core 84 can be on an external portion of the core 84 or an internal portion of the core 84 (e g., via aperture 88 that leads to a cavity or other opening in the core 84). In some embodiments, the tether can include a knot, ball, wedge, or other blocking element sized larger than the aperture 88 to prevent the tether from being released from the core 84. Likewise, the tether can be coupled to at least one of housing portions 78-82 via a knot made by passing the tether through one or more apertures in housing portions 78-82. Other techniques of fastening the tether to housing portions 78-82 as well as the core 84 are additionally contemplated (e.g., adhesion, soldering, etc.).

[0081] As noted above, upon firing, housing portions 78-82 unfurl from the core 84 due to the rotation of the bullet assembly 68. The diameter between housing portions 78-82 (when fully extended) can be approximately 3 ft., 4 ft., 5 ft., 6 ft., or another value. As housing portions 78-82 rotate during flight, housing portions 78-82 operate as masses on the end of the tether. The outward centrifugal force on the bullet assembly 68 causes housing portions 78-82 to separate and the tether keeps housing portions 78-82 connected, for example, via the core 84. In a given diameter, there are four masses (housing portion 78, housing portion 80, housing portion 82, and core 84) that can operate as anti-drone projectiles. In addition, the tether attached to each of housing portions 78-82 operates to provide fouling action to the drone 60 (e.g., catching rotating blades of a drone 60, knocking the drone 60 off target, or otherwise entangling the drone 60). In this manner,the bullet assembly 68 when fired operates as an entanglement weapon consisting of multiple weights attached to cords to ensnare a target (e.g., drone 60).

[0082] As previously noted, the bullet assembly 68 also includes housing 76. Housing 76 operates as a trailing segment and includes a housing portion 90, housing portion 92, and housing portion 94. While three housing portions 90-94 are illustrated, it is understood that fewer or more housing portions can be present. Additionally, housing portions 90-94 are illustrated as being symmetrical. However, asymmetrical housing portions that form housing 76 can instead be utilized.

[0083] In some embodiments, housing portions 90-94 can be combined to be housing 76 in its entirety. Alternatively, housing portions 90-94 can be combined to be at least a portion of housing 76. For example, in some embodiments, a core 96 is also present as part of the bullet assembly 68. The core 96, in some embodiments, can include an upper portion that can additionally be a portion of housing 76 or a lower portion as a portion of housing 76. For example, a lower portion of the core 96 can be the base of housing 76 and can form housing 76 when taken together with housing portions 90-94.

[0084] Each of housing portions 90-94 includes a cavity 98. However, it is envisioned that only one cavity 98 may be present one or more of housing portion 90, housing portion 92, or housing portion 94. The cavity 98 can be sized to include at least a portion of the core 96. Additionally, a tether can be wrapped or wound around the core 96, similar to the tether 32 as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. The cavity 98 can be sized to include the tether. In some embodiments, the tether can be a single thread, multiple threads / strands / filaments of flexible high-strength and low-weight material, including single-strand or woven graphene, aramid fibers, aromatic polyamide fibers, cellulose nanofibers, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, metals or alloys, or some combination of such materials, or other extremely light- weight / high-strength material(s), capable of being joined into a single line or a web-like net of filaments, arranged into a spider-web-like net of fixed or varying net-hole sizes, strong enough to withstand the force of being fired from a firearm, being deployed into a spinning line or net that remains connected to the drone-net weights (eg., housing portions 90-94) after firing, and strong enough to remain intact andinterrupt / foul the travel of the lift-generating blades of a drone 60 through entanglement of the line or net into the blades of a drone 60, thereby disabling a drone 60 and its ability to fly.

[0085] A tether is attached or otherwise directly coupled to each of housing portions 90-94. The tether can provide for direct coupling of between housing portions 90-94. Alternatively, a tether can be attached or otherwise coupled to each of housing portions 90-94 as well as the core 96. In this manner, the tether directly couples housing portion 90 to the core 96, directly couples housing portion 92 the core 96, directly couples housing portion 94 to the core 96, and indirectly couples housing portions 90-94 to one another. In other embodiments, multiple tethers can be utilized. For example, a first tether can be attached or otherwise directly coupled to housing portion 90 and the core 96, a second tether can be attached or otherwise directly coupled to housing portion 92 as well as the core 96, and a third tether can be attached or otherwise directly coupled to housing portion 94 as well as the core 96. In this manner, the first tether directly couples housing portion 90 to the core 96, the second tether directly couples housing portion 92 to the core 96, the third tether directly couples housing portion 94 to the core 96, and housing portions 90-94 are indirectly coupled to one another via the first tether, the second tether, the third tether, and the core 96. Other configurations that couple housing portions 90-94 of housing 76 can similarly be implemented.

[0086] In some embodiments, the tether can be wound about the core 96 in the direction that the bullet assembly 68 will rotate. Winding in this direction (e.g., the rotation that the bullet assembly 68 will experience when fired) can be opposite to an unfurling rotation (unwind spin direction) that will cause the tether to unfurl. That is, when fired, housing portions 90-94 separate and the tether will unwind. Thus, the winding of the tether may be performed based on the rotation that will be imparted to the bullet assembly 68 so that as the bullet assembly 68 rotates, that rotation will cause the tether to unwind from the core 96. In some embodiments, the tether can be disposed on two sections of the core 96 (e.g., winding sections) , for example, on opposite sides of (e.g., about) an aperture 100 in the core 96. The separation of the tether allows for the tether to provide separate connections to the respective housing portions 90-94.

[0087] Tn some embodiments, the tether can be tied or otherwise affixed (e.g., via adhesion, soldering, etc.) to the core 96 via the aperture 100 in the core 96. This connection of the tether to the core 96 can be on an external portion of the core 96 or an internal portion of the core 96 (e.g., via aperture 100 that leads to a cavity or other opening in the core 96). In some embodiments, the tether can include a knot, ball, wedge, or other blocking element sized larger than the aperture 100 to prevent the tether from being released from the core 96. Likewise, the tether can be coupled to at least one of housing portions 90-94 via a knot made by passing the tether through one or more apertures in housing portions 90-94. Other techniques of fastening the tether to housing portions 90-94 as well as the core 96 are additionally contemplated (e.g., adhesion, soldering, etc.).

[0088] As noted above, upon firing, housing portions 90-94 unfurl from the core 96 due to the rotation of the bullet assembly 68. The diameter between housing portions 90-94 (when fully extended) can be approximately 4 ft., 5 ft., 6 ft., 7 ft., or another value. In some embodiments, the diameter between housing portions 90-94 when fully extended can be larger than the diameter between housing portions 78-82 when fully extended. As housing portions 90-94 rotate during flight, housing portions 90-94 operate as masses on the end of the tether. The outward centrifugal force on the bullet assembly 68 causes housing portions 90-94 to separate and the tether keeps housing portions 90-94 connected, for example, via the core 96. In a given diameter, there are four masses (housing portion 90, housing portion 92, housing portion 94, and core 96) that can operate as anti-drone projectiles. In addition, the tether attached to each of housing portions 90-94 operates to provide fouling action to the drone 60 (e.g., catching rotating blades of a drone 60, knocking the drone 60 off target, or otherwise entangling the drone 60). In this manner, the bullet assembly 68 when fired operates as an entanglement weapon consisting of multiple weights attached to cords to ensnare a target (e.g., drone 60).

[0089] As noted above, in some embodiments, housing 74 operates as a lead segment while housing 76 operates as a trailing segment when in operation. This may be due to their placement within the bullet assembly 68 and, for example, can be due to differences in the diameter between housing portions 78-82 when fully extended and housing portions 90-94 when fully extended (e.g., during flight). As noted above, the diameter of housingportions 78-82 when extended can be smaller than the diameter of housing portions 90-94 when extended (i.e., while spinning subsequent to being fired). These differences in diameter cause housing portions 90-94 to rotate (i.e., spin) more slowly than the rate at which housing portions 78-82 rotate (e.g., due to conservation of angular momentum).

[0090] For example, when fired, housing 74 and housing 76 may have identical spin rates (i.e., revolutions per minute or RPM). However, as housing 74 and housing 76 unfurl, the diameter of housing portions 90-94 is greater than the diameter of housing portions 78-82. This causes housing 76 as the trailing segment to decelerate from its initial RPM when fired at a greater rate than housing 74 as the lead segment decelerates. This can provide for a two-stage entanglement weapon with housing 74 (having housing portions 78-82 extended with a first diameter) arriving at targeted location first and with housing 76 (having housing portions 90-94 extended with a second diameter greater than the first diameter) arriving at the targeted location thereafter while allowing for a larger diameter of anti-drone elements available to ensnare a target (e.g., drone 60).

[0091] Additionally, while the bullet assembly 68 has been discussed above inclusive of core 84 and core 96, in some embodiments, one or more of core 84 and core 96 can be omitted. In these embodiments, housings 74 (absent core 84) and / or housing 76 (absent core 96) can be joined in a manner similar to that discussed above with respect to housing 48 of the bullet assembly 46 in FIG. 6. That is, housing 74 and / or housing 76 can be joined as having two or more housing portions that together form housing 74 and / or housing 76 with tethers coupled between the respective housing portions of housing 74 and / or with tethers coupled between the respective housing portions of housing 76 in a manner similar to that described above with respect to housing 48 of the bullet assembly 46 in FIG. 6. Thus, the bullet assembly 68 can include eight segments (housing portions 78-82, core 84, housing portions 90-94, and core 96), seven segments (housing portions 78-82, core 84, and housing portions 90-94 or housing portions 78-82, housing portions 90-94, and core 96), six segments (housing portions 78-82 and housing portions 90-94, housing portions 78-82, core 84, and two housing portions making up housing 76, or two housing portions making up housing 74, housing portions 90-94, and core 96), or additional configurations of segments inclusive of or exclusive of core 84 and core 96.

[0092] FTG. 10 illustrates a top view of bullet assembly 46 for use in cartridge 10 as including housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 that in combination form housing 48 of the bullet assembly 46. That is, the bullet assembly 46 illustrated in FIG. 10 can be a two-segment bullet assembly 46. As further illustrated in FIG. 11, the bullet assembly 46 can be coupled to cartridge case 14 used to store propellant (e.g., gunpowder, cordite, or the like). Also illustrated is a rim 16 that can, for example, provide a grip point for a firearm extractor to remove the cartridge case 14 from the chamber of a firearm as well as a base 18, which can include, for example, a primer that operates to ignite the propellant to cause the bullet assembly 46 to pass through a rifled barrel of the firearm.

[0093] In some embodiments, the bullet assembly 46 of FIG. 11 can have a concave upper portion. Additionally, the cartridge case 14 can be crimped or otherwise deformed in region 102 of the cartridge case 14 to allow for a connection between the bullet assembly 46 and the cartridge case 14. This connection at region 102 can allow for separation when the cartridge 10 is fired. FIG. 12 illustrates an example of the firing of the cartridge 10 having bullet assembly 46 therein at a first time.

[0094] FIG. 12 illustrates the bullet assembly 46 of FIG. 11 at a first time after having been fired from a weapon having a rifled barrel 104. As illustrated, housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 rotate along path 106 due to the spin imparted to the bullet assembly 46 by the rifled barrel 104 as housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 exit the rifled barrel 104 along direction of travel 108. Housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 (e.g., segments) operate as masses on the end of the tether 32. The outward centrifugal force on the bullet assembly 46 causes housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 to separate and the tether 32 keeps housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 connected.

[0095] FIG. 13 illustrates the bullet assembly 46 of FIG. 11 at a second time after being fired subsequent to the first time discussed above with respect to FIG. 12. As illustrated in FIG. 13, housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 continue to rotate along path 106 during flight along the direction of travel 108 towards a drone 60 due to the spin imparted to the bullet assembly 46 by the rifled barrel 104. FIG. 13 additionally illustrates housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 fully extended from one another with tether 32 beingtaut therebetween to provide a larger diameter (relative to the diameter between housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 in FIG. 12) so as to provide a greater region in which to provide fouling action to the drone 60 (e.g., catching rotating blades of the drone 60, knocking the drone 60 off target, or otherwise entangling the drone 60) so as to disable the drone 60.

[0096] While the bullet assembly 46 described above with respect to FIGS. 10-13 is illustrated as being a two-segment bullet assembly 46, other embodiments are contemplated. For example, FIG. 14 illustrates a top view of bullet assembly 110 for use in cartridge 10 as including housing portion 112, housing portion 114, and housing portion 116 that in combination form housing 48 of the bullet assembly 110. That is, the bullet assembly 110 illustrated in FIG. 14 can be a three-segment bullet assembly 110. As further illustrated in FIG. 15, the bullet assembly 110 can be coupled to cartridge case 14 used to store propellant (e.g., gunpowder, cordite, or the like). Also illustrated is a rim 16 that can, for example, provide a grip point for a firearm extractor to remove the cartridge case 14 from the chamber of a firearm as well as a base 18, which can include, for example, a primer that operates to ignite the propellant to cause the bullet assembly 110 to pass through a rifled barrel of the firearm.

[0097] In some embodiments, the bullet assembly 110 of FIG. 15 can have a concave upper portion. Additionally, the cartridge case 14 can be crimped or otherwise deformed in region 102 of the cartridge case 14 to allow for a connection between the bullet assembly 110 and the cartridge case 14. This connection at region 102 can allow for separation when the cartridge 10 is fired. FIG. 16 illustrates an example of the firing of the cartridge 10 having bullet assembly 110 therein at a first time.

[0098] FIG. 16 illustrates the bullet assembly 110 of FIG. 15 at a first time after having been fired from a weapon having a rifled barrel 104. As illustrated, housing portion 112, housing portion 114, and housing portion 116 rotate along path 106 due to the spin imparted to the bullet assembly 110 by the rifled barrel 104 as housing portion 112, housing portion 114, and housing portion 116 exit the rifled barrel 104 along direction of travel 108. Housing portion 112, housing portion 114, and housing portion 116 (e.g., segments)operate as masses on the end of the tether 32. The outward centrifugal force on the bullet assembly 110 causes housing portion 112, housing portion 114, and housing portion 116 to separate and the tether 32 keeps housing portion 112, housing portion 114, and housing portion 116 connected.

[0099] FIG. 17 illustrates the bullet assembly 110 of FIG. 15 at a second time after being fired subsequent to the first time discussed above with respect to FIG. 16. As illustrated in FIG. 17, housing portion 112, housing portion 114, and housing portion 116 continue to rotate along path 106 during flight along the direction of travel 108 towards a drone 60 due to the spin imparted to the bullet assembly 110 by the rifled barrel 104. FIG. 17 additionally illustrates housing portion 112, housing portion 114, and housing portion 116 fully extended from one another with tether 32 being taut therebetween with respect to a connection point 118. As illustrated, the tether 32 can be individual segments of equal length each tethered to connection point 118. However, the individual segments of each tether 32 can in some embodiments include one or more differing lengths.

[0100] The connection point 118 of FIG. 17 can include, for example, a knot, an assembly coupled to each segment of the tether 32, etc. As illustrated in FIG. 17, housing portion 112, housing portion 114, and housing portion 116 are fully extended from connection point 118 with each respective tether 32 segment being taut between housing portion 112, housing portion 114, and housing portion 116 and connection point 118. When fully extended, housing portion 112, housing portion 114, and housing portion 116 provide a larger diameter (relative to the diameter between housing portion 112, housing portion 114, and housing portion 116 in FIG. 16) so as to provide a greater region in which to provide fouling action to the drone 60 (e.g., catching rotating blades of the drone 60, knocking the drone 60 off target, or otherwise entangling the drone 60) so as to disable the drone 60.

[0101] The two-segment bullet assembly 46 described above with respect to FIGS. 10-13 and the three-segment bullet assembly 110 described above with respect to FIGS. 14-17 are not the only embodiments contemplated. For example, FIG. 18 illustrates a top view of bullet assembly 120 for use in cartridge 10 as including housing portion 122, housingportion 124, housing portion 126, and housing portion 128 that in combination form housing 48 of the bullet assembly 120. That is, the bullet assembly 120 illustrated in FIG.18 can be a four-segment bullet assembly 120. As further illustrated in FIG. 19, the bullet assembly 120 can be coupled to cartridge case 14 used to store propellant (e.g., gunpowder, cordite, or the like). Also illustrated is a rim 16 that can, for example, provide a grip point for a firearm extractor to remove the cartridge case 14 from the chamber of a firearm as well as a base 18, which can include, for example, a primer that operates to ignite the propellant to cause the bullet assembly 120 to pass through a rifled barrel of the firearm.

[0102] In some embodiments, the bullet assembly 120 of FIG. 19 can have a concave upper portion. Additionally, the cartridge case 14 can be crimped or otherwise deformed in region 102 of the cartridge case 14 to allow for a connection between the bullet assembly 120 and the cartridge case 14. This connection at region 102 can allow for separation when the cartridge 10 is fired. FIG. 20 illustrates an example of the firing of the cartridge 10 having bullet assembly 120 therein at a first time.

[0103] FIG. 20 illustrates the bullet assembly 120 of FIG. 19 at a first time after having been fired from a weapon having a rifled barrel 104. As illustrated, housing portion 122, housing portion 124, housing portion 126, and housing portion 128 rotate along path 106 due to the spin imparted to the bullet assembly 120 by the rifled barrel 104 as housing portion 122, housing portion 124, housing portion 126, and housing portion 128 exit the rifled barrel 104 along direction of travel 108. Housing portion 122, housing portion 124, housing portion 126, and housing portion 128 (e.g., segments) operate as masses on the end of the tether 32. The outward centrifugal force on the bullet assembly 120 causes housing portion 122, housing portion 124, housing portion 126, and housing portion 128 to separate and the tether 32 keeps housing portion 122, housing portion 124, housing portion 126, and housing portion 128 connected.

[0104] FIG. 21 illustrates the bullet assembly 120 of FIG. 19 at a second time after being fired subsequent to the first time discussed above with respect to FIG. 20. As illustrated in FIG. 21, housing portion 122, housing portion 124, housing portion 126, and housing portion 128 continue to rotate along path 106 during flight along the direction of travel 108towards a drone 60 due to the spin imparted to the bullet assembly 120 by the rifled barrel 104. FIG. 21 additionally illustrates housing portion 122, housing portion 124, housing portion 126, and housing portion 128 fully extended from one another with tether 32 being taut therebetween with respect to a connection point 118. As illustrated, the tether 32 can be individual segments of equal length each tethered to connection point 118. However, the individual segments of each tether 32 can in some embodiments include one or more differing lengths.

[0105] The connection point 118 of FIG. 21 can include, for example, a knot, an assembly coupled to each segment of the tether 32, etc. As illustrated in FIG. 21, housing portion 122, housing portion 124, housing portion 126, and housing portion 128 are fully extended from connection point 118 with each respective tether 32 segment being taut between housing portion 122, housing portion 124, housing portion 126, and housing portion 128. When fully extended, housing portion 122, housing portion 124, housing portion 126, and housing portion 128 provide a larger diameter (relative to the diameter between housing portion 122, housing portion 124, housing portion 126, and housing portion 128 in FIG.20) so as to provide a greater region in which to provide fouling action to the drone 60 (e.g., catching rotating blades of the drone 60, knocking the drone 60 off target, or otherwise entangling the drone 60) so as to disable the drone 60.

[0106] FIG. 22 illustrates another perspective view of the bullet assembly 46 of FIG. 11 for use in cartridge 10 as including housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 that in combination form housing 48 of the bullet assembly 46. That is, the bullet assembly 46 illustrated in FIG. 22 can be a two-segment bullet assembly 46. As further illustrated in FIG. 22, the bullet assembly 46 can be coupled to cartridge case 14 used to store propellant (e.g., gunpowder, cordite, or the like). Also illustrated is a rim 16 that can, for example, provide a grip point for a firearm extractor to remove the cartridge case 14 from the chamber of a firearm as well as a base 18, which can include, for example, a primer that operates to ignite the propellant to cause the bullet assembly 46 to pass through a rifled barrel of the firearm.

[0107] In some embodiments, the bullet assembly 46 can have a concave upper portion. Additionally, the cartridge case 14 can be crimped or otherwise deformed in region 102 of the cartridge case 14 to allow for a connection between the bullet assembly 46 and the cartridge case 14. This connection at region 102 can allow for separation when the cartridge 10 is fired while providing a seamless exterior of the bullet assembly 46. In some embodiments, housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 can be joined and crimped or otherwise joined at region 102 when disposed in the cartridge case 14 (e.g., pre-firing).

[0108] FIG. 23 illustrates an exploded view of the bullet assembly 46 of FIG. 22. As illustrated, each of housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 includes a cavity 56. The cavity 56 may be a hollowed out section of one or both of housing portion 50 and housing portion 52. The cavity 56 houses the tether 32 that is connected to each of housing portion 50 and housing portion 52, for example, when housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 are coupled (e.g., disposed in the cartridge case 14). By allowing the tether 32 to be disposed internal to the bullet assembly 46 without any winding mechanism, the operation of the bullet assembly 46 can function without requiring any unwinding of the tether 32 connected to housing portion 50 and housing portion 52.

[0109] Tether 32 of FIG. 23 can be a single thread, multiple threads / strands / filaments of flexible high-strength and low-weight material, including single-strand or woven graphene, aramid fibers, aromatic polyamide fibers, cellulose nanofibers, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, metals or alloys, or some combination of such materials, or other extremely light-weight / high-strength material(s), capable of being joined into a single line or a weblike net of filaments, arranged into a spider-web-like net of fixed or varying net-hole sizes, strong enough to withstand the force of being fired from a firearm, being deployed into a spinning line or net that remains connected to the drone-net weights (e.g., housing portion 50 and housing portion 52) after firing, and strong enough to remain intact and interrupt / foul the travel of the lift-generating blades of a drone through entanglement of the line or net into the blades of a drone 60, thereby disabling the drone 60 and its ability to fly.

[0110] Tether 32 unravels or unspools as housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 separate subsequent to the bullet assembly 46 being fired from a rifled barrel 104. During flight, outward centrifugal force on the bullet assembly 46 causes housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 to separate until tether 32 is taut. In this manner, tether 32 keeps housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 connected while spinning (rotating) along path 106 due to the spin imparted to the bullet assembly 46 by the rifled barrel 104 as housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 exit the rifled barrel 104 along direction of travel 108.

[0111] The tether 32 of FIG. 23 can be connected to each of the housing portion 50 and housing portion 52 through a number of techniques. For example, the tether 32 can be directly coupled (e.g., welded, glued, or otherwise affixed) to each of housing portion 50 and housing portion 52. In other embodiments, a cavity may be preset in housing portion 50 and / or housing portion 52. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 24, a cavity 130 may be disposed in housing portion 50 and / or housing portion 52. Cavity 130 can represent a tubular cavity through which the tether 32 may pass, however, other shapes for cavity 130 are envisioned. As illustrated in FIG. 24, the tether 32 may pass into a first portion (e.g., entry) of cavity 130, through a body of cavity 130, and pass from a second portion (e.g., exit) of the cavity 130. The tether 32 exiting the cavity can be tied, welded, glued, or otherwise affixed onto itself. Other techniques can additionally be employed.

[0112] For example, an anchor, such as a loop, a hook, or the like, may be disposed in each cavity 56 of housing portion 50 and housing portion 52. The tether 32 can pass through this anchor and the tether 32 can be tied, welded, glued, or otherwise affixed onto itself. Other techniques can additionally include a cavity that passes through cavity 56 to an exterior portion of housing portion 50 and / or housing portion 52. The tether 32 can pass through this cavity extending through the body of the housing portion 50 and / or housing portion 52 and the tether 32 can be tied, welded, glued, or otherwise affixed onto itself and / or the body of the housing portion 50 and / or housing portion 52. Additionally, in some embodiments, one or more techniques to affix the tether 32 to housing portion 50 can be combined with another of the above noted techniques to affix the tether 32 to housing portion 52.

[0113] In some embodiments, for example, in conjunction with the three-segment bullet assembly 110, the four-segment bullet assembly 120, or additional segment bullet assemblies, separate portions of the tether 32 each connected to a respective segment of the bullet assembly are connected at a connection point 118. Regardless of the number of segments in the bullet assembly, the tether 32 (affixed to the respective segments, for example, by one of the techniques above) resides in a cavity 56 hollowed out of the segments (e.g., housing portion 50, housing portion 52, etc.).

[0114] Other techniques to affix the tether 32 to the segments (e g., housing portion 50, housing portion 52, etc.) are envisioned. For example, FIG. 26 illustrates housing portion 50, housing portion 52 each with a cavity 134 through which tether 32 passes. The tether 32 can be directly coupled (e.g., tied to, welded, glued, or otherwise affixed) to a plug 136 that is sized to have a smaller region that is received by cavity 56 and a larger region that sits, for example, flush with the exterior of the respective housing portion 50 or housing portion 52 that it is coupled to. The plug can be directly coupled (e.g., tied to, welded, glued, or otherwise affixed) to the cavity 134. Likewise, as illustrated in FIG. 27, housing portion 52 is illustrated with the cavity 134 through which tether 32 passes. The tether 32 can be formed (e.g., pressed into, welded, etc.) or otherwise manufactured as a single piece 138 with the plug 136. Use of the plug, as illustrated in conjunction with FIGS. 26 and 27 may, for example, simplify manufacturing by allowing for greater ease in directly coupling the tether 32 to the respective segments while still allowing for sufficient strength to maintain a connection between the respective segments subsequent to their full unfurling during flight towards a target, for example, a drone 60.

[0115] As previously discussed, aspects of the ammunition, including the components, dimensions and caliber, remain such that the projectile is capable of being loaded into and used by various firearms (9mm, 5.56, 7.62, .50 BMG. etc.) without any adaptation of the firearm or specialized equipment. FIG. 28 illustrates an example of an embodiment of a bullet assembly 140 that can be sized as a .50 caliber round and that can be used, for example, as an anti-drone cartridge. The bullet assembly 140 can be housed by a cartridge case, which can function similarly to cartridge case 14 as it can be used to store propellant, for example, gunpowder, cordite, or the like. The cartridge case used in conjunction withbullet assembly 140 can also include a rim that functions similarly to rim 16, for example, to provide a grip point for a firearm extractor to remove the cartridge case from the chamber of a firearm, as well as a base similar in function to base 18. Additionally, as illustrated in FIG. 28, crimping of a cartridge case surrounding the bullet assembly 140 can be crimped or otherwise deformed in region 102 to allow for a connection between the bullet assembly 140 and a cartridge case.

[0116] On the shelf, the bullet assembly 140 can be sized to match industry standard accepted specifications and dimensions of conventional rounds and sized to be fired in conventional firearms that include a rifled barrel 104 (e.g., any firearm able to fire .50 caliber rounds). However, once fired, the bullet assembly 140 does not operate in a manner similar to a conventional bullet fired from a firearm. That is, while a conventional bullet maintains its bullet shape subsequent to being fired from a firearm, the bullet assembly 140 of FIG. 28 operates to separate. For example, the bullet assembly includes a housing that can be made up of segments. The housing can be made up of at least two segments. FIG.28 illustrates an embodiment in which four segments are provided as making up the housing of the bullet assembly 140. Housing portion 142, housing portion 144, and housing portion 146 are visible as three of the segments making up the housing of bullet assembly 140 and a fourth segment (housing portion 148, as illustrated in FIG. 29) is joined with housing portion 142, housing portion 144, and housing portion 146 to form the housing of the bullet assembly 140.

[0117] FIG. 29 illustrates an exploded view of the bullet assembly 140, sized to match a traditional .50 caliber round. However, the bullet assembly 140 can be sized to match alternate traditional round sizes. As illustrated in FIG. 29, the bullet assembly 140 (e.g., projectile) is separated from any cartridge case for illustrative purposes. In some embodiments, the bullet assembly 140 differs from bullet assembly 68 of FIG. 8 in that the bullet assembly 140 of FIG. 29 includes a single housing in place of housing 74 and housing 76 of bullet assembly 68.

[0118] As illustrated in FIG. 29, the bullet assembly 140 includes housing portion 142, housing portion 144, housing portion 146, and housing portion 148. Each of the housingportion 142, housing portion 144, housing portion 146, and housing portion 148 can be triangular shaped, wedge shaped, or the like, although alternate shapes are envisioned for housing portion 142, housing portion 144, housing portion 146, and housing portion 148. In one embodiment, housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 are disposed on opposite sides of core 84 from one another. Likewise, housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 are disposed on opposite sides of core 84 from one another. In one embodiment, a base portion of the triangular shaped housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 can be disposed adjacent to a tip of the core 84 while a tip portion of the triangular shaped housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 can be disposed adjacent to the tip of the core 84. This allows the housing portion 142, housing portion 144, housing portion 146, and housing portion 148 to combine into a housing of the bullet assembly 140.

[0119] As further illustrated in FIG. 29, housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 are coupled to core 84 via a tether 32 (or separate tethers 32) to operate as a lead segment when fired. While two housing portions (housing portion 144 and housing portion 148) are illustrated as being part of the lead segment with core 84 when bullet assembly 140 is fired, it is understood that fewer or more housing portions can be present. Additionally, housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 are illustrated as being symmetrical. However, asymmetrical housing portions that form the housing of the bullet assembly 140 can instead be utilized. Additionally, in some embodiments, housing portions can run from an upper portion to a lower portion of the bullet assembly 140, such that the combined bullet can be crimped (e.g., at region 102) as a single mass (e.g., crimping a cartridge case surrounding the bullet assembly 140 at region 102) prior to firing, and thereafter separate, in either the symmetrical and asymmetrical configurations.

[0120] Housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 each have a tether 32 attached thereto. When fired from a rifled barrel 104, housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 of the bullet assembly 140 separate from one another. The tether 32 of each housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 keeps the segments coupled to one another (either directly or via the core 84 of the bullet assembly 140). In this manner, the bullet assembly 140, when in flight, becomes a spinning, spread, weighted net directed towards a target (e g., a drone 60) when fired from the firearm. Moreover, while in operation, the bulletassembly 140 differs from a traditional bullet of a traditional cartridge, since the bullet assembly 140 is able to unfurl subsequent to its being loaded into a firearm and fired therefrom without any adaptation of the firearm or specialized equipment beyond purchase of a cartridge including the bullet assembly 140.

[0121] As illustrated, the core 84 is present as part of the bullet assembly 140. The core 84, in some embodiments, can include an upper portion that can additionally be a portion of the housing of bullet assembly 140. For example, the upper portion of the core 84 can be the tip of the housing of the bullet assembly 140 and can form the housing of the bullet assembly when taken together with housing portion 142, housing portion 144, housing portion 146, and housing portion 148.

[0122] Each of housing portion 142, housing portion 144, housing portion 146, and housing portion 148 includes a cavity 86. However, it is envisioned that only one cavity 86 may be present in one or more of housing portion 142, housing portion 144, housing portion 146, and housing portion 148. The cavity 86 can be sized to include at least a portion of the core 84. Additionally, the tether 32 coupled to housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 can be wrapped or wound around the core 84, similar to the tether 32 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0123] The cavity 86 can be sized to include the tether 32. In some embodiments, the tether 32 can be a single thread, multiple threads / strands / filaments of flexible high-strength and low-weight material, including single-strand or woven graphene, aramid fibers, aromatic polyamide fibers, cellulose nanofibers, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, metals or alloys, or some combination of such materials, or other extremely light-weight / high-strength material(s), capable of being joined into a single line or a web-like net of filaments, arranged into a spider-web-like net of fixed or varying net-hole sizes, strong enough to withstand the force of being fired from a firearm, being deployed into a spinning line or net that remains connected to the drone-net weights (e.g., housing portion 144 and housing portion 148) after firing, and strong enough to remain intact and interrupt / foul the travel of the lift-generating blades of a drone 60 through entanglement ofthe line or net into the blades of a drone 60, thereby disabling a drone 60 and its ability to fly.

[0124] The tether 32 is attached or otherwise directly coupled to each of housing portion 144 and housing portion 148. The tether 32 can provide for direct coupling of between housing portion 144 and housing portion 148. Alternatively, a respective tether 32 can be attached or otherwise coupled to each of housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 as well as the core 84. In this manner, the tether 32 directly couples housing portion 144 to the core 84 and directly couples housing portion 148 to the core 84, and indirectly couples housing portion 144 to housing portion 148. In other embodiments, multiple tethers 32 can be utilized. For example, a first tether 32 can be attached or otherwise directly coupled to housing portion 144 and the core 84, while a second tether 32 can be attached or otherwise directly coupled to housing portion 148 as well as the core 84. In this manner, the first tether 32 directly couples housing portion 144 to the core 84, the second tether directly couples housing portion 148 to the core 84, and housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 are indirectly coupled to one another via the first tether 32, the second tether 32, and the core 84. Other configurations that couple housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 can similarly be implemented.

[0125] In some embodiments, the tether 32 can be wound about the core 84 in the direction that the bullet assembly 140 will rotate. Winding in this direction (e.g., the rotation that the bullet assembly 140 will experience when fired) can be opposite to an unfurling rotation (unwind spin direction) that will cause the tether 32 to unfurl. That is, when fired, housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 separate and the tether 32 will unwind. Thus, the winding of the tether 32 may be performed based on the rotation that will be imparted to the bullet assembly 140 so that as the bullet assembly 140 rotates, that rotation will cause the tether 32 to unwind from the core 84. In some embodiments, the tether 32 can be disposed on two sections of the core 84 (e.g., winding sections), for example, on opposite sides of (e.g., about) an aperture 88 in the core 84. The separation of the tether 32 allows for the tether 32 to provide separate connections to the respective housing portion 144 and housing portion 148.

[0126] In some embodiments, the tether 32 can be tied or otherwise affixed (e.g., via adhesion, soldering, etc.) to the core 84 via the aperture 88 in the core 84. This connection of the tether 32 to the core 84 can be on an external portion of the core 84 or an internal portion of the core 84 (e.g., via aperture 88 that leads to a cavity or other opening in the core 84). In some embodiments, the tether 32 can include a knot, ball, wedge, or other blocking element sized larger than the aperture 88 to prevent the tether from being released from the core 84. Likewise, the tether 32 can be coupled to at least one of housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 via a knot made by passing the tether 32 through one or more apertures in housing portion 144 and housing portion 148. Other techniques of fastening the tether 32 to housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 as well as the core 84 are additionally contemplated (e.g., adhesion, soldering, etc.).

[0127] As noted above, upon firing, housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 unfurl from the core 84 due to the rotation of the bullet assembly 140. The diameter between housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 (when fully extended) can be approximately 3 ft., 4 ft., 5 ft., 6 ft., or another value. As housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 rotate during flight, housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 operate as masses on the end of the tether 32. The outward centrifugal force on the bullet assembly 140 causes housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 to separate and the tether 32 keeps housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 connected, for example, via the core 84. In a given diameter, there are three masses (housing portion 144, housing portion 148, and core 84) that can operate as anti-drone projectiles. In addition, the tether 32 attached to each of housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 operates to provide fouling action to the drone 60 (e g., catching rotating blades of a drone 60, knocking the drone 60 off target, or otherwise entangling the drone 60). In this manner, the bullet assembly 140 when fired operates as an entanglement weapon consisting of multiple weights attached to cords to ensnare a target (e.g., drone 60).

[0128] As previously noted, the bullet assembly 140 also includes housing portion 142 and housing portion 146. Housing portion 142 and 146 are coupled to core 96 via a tether 32 (or separate tethers 32) to operate as a trailing segment when fired. While two housing portions (housing portion 142 and housing portion 146) are illustrated as being part of thetrailing segment with core 96 when bullet assembly 140 is fired, it is understood that fewer or more housing portions can be present. Additionally, housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 are illustrated as being symmetrical. However, asymmetrical housing portions that form the housing of the bullet assembly 140 can instead be utilized. Additionally, in some embodiments, housing portions can run from an upper portion to a lower portion of the bullet assembly 140, such that the combined bullet can be crimped (e.g., at region 102) as a single mass (e.g., by crimping a cartridge case surrounding the bullet assembly 140 at region 102) prior to firing, and thereafter separate, in either the symmetrical and asymmetrical configurations.

[0129] Housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 each have a tether 32 attached thereto. When fired from a rifled barrel 104, housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 of the bullet assembly 140 each operates to separate. The tether 32 of each housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 keeps the segments coupled to one another (either directly or via the core 96 of the bullet assembly 140). In this manner, the bullet assembly 140, when in flight, becomes a spinning, spread, weighted net directed towards a target (e.g., a drone 60) when fired from the firearm. Moreover, while in operation, the bullet assembly 140 differs from a traditional bullet of a traditional cartridge, since the bullet assembly 140 is able to unfurl subsequent to its being loaded into a firearm and fired therefrom without any adaptation of the firearm or specialized equipment beyond purchase of a cartridge including the bullet assembly 140.

[0130] As previously noted, housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 can each include a cavity 86. However, it is envisioned that only one cavity 86 may be present in one or more of housing portion 142 and housing portion 146. The cavity 86 can be sized to include at least a portion of the core 96. Additionally, the tether 32 coupled to housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 can be wrapped or wound around the core 96, similar to the tether 32 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0131] The cavity 86 can be sized to include the tether 32. In some embodiments, the tether 32 can be a single thread, multiple threads / strands / filaments of flexible high-strength and low-weight material, including single-strand or woven graphene, aramid fibers,aromatic polyamide fibers, cellulose nanofibers, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, metals or alloys, or some combination of such materials, or other extremely light-weight / high-strength material(s), capable of being joined into a single line or a web-like net of filaments, arranged into a spider-web-like net of fixed or varying net-hole sizes, strong enough to withstand the force of being fired from a firearm, being deployed into a spinning line or net that remains connected to the drone-net weights (e.g., housing portion 142 and housing portion 146) after firing, and strong enough to remain intact and interrupt / foul the travel of the lift-generating blades of a drone 60 through entanglement of the line or net into the blades of a drone 60, thereby disabling a drone 60 and its ability to fly.

[0132] The tether 32 is attached or otherwise directly coupled to each of housing portion 142 and housing portion 146. The tether 32 can provide direct coupling between housing portion 142 and housing portion 146. Alternatively, a respective tether 32 can be attached or otherwise coupled to each of housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 as well as the core 96. In this manner, the tether 32 directly couples housing portion 142 to the core 96 and directly couples housing portion 146 to the core 96, and indirectly couples housing portion 142 to housing portion 146. In other embodiments, multiple tethers 32 can be utilized. For example, a first tether 32 can be attached or otherwise directly coupled to housing portion 142 and the core 96, while a second tether 32 can be attached or otherwise directly coupled to housing portion 146 as well as the core 96. In this manner, the first tether 32 directly couples housing portion 142 to the core 96, the second tether directly couples housing portion 146 to the core 96, and housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 are indirectly coupled to one another via the first tether 32, the second tether 32, and the core 96. Other configurations that couple housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 can similarly be implemented.

[0133] In some embodiments, the tether 32 can be wound about the core 96 in the direction that the bullet assembly 140 will rotate. Winding in this direction (e.g., the rotation that the bullet assembly 140 will experience when fired) can be opposite to an unfurling rotation (unwind spin direction) that will cause the tether 32 to unfurl. That is, when fired, housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 separate and the tether 32 willunwind. Thus, the winding of the tether 32 may be performed based on the rotation that will be imparted to the bullet assembly 140 so that as the bullet assembly 140 rotates, that rotation will cause the tether 32 to unwind from the core 96. In some embodiments, the tether 32 can be disposed on two sections of the core 96 (e.g., winding sections), for example, on opposite sides of (e.g., about) an aperture 100 in the core 96. The separation of the tether 32 allows for the tether 32 to provide separate connections to the respective housing portion 142 and housing portion 146.

[0134] In some embodiments, the tether 32 can be tied or otherwise affixed (e.g., via adhesion, soldering, etc.) to the core 96 via the aperture 100 in the core 96. This connection of the tether 32 to the core 96 can be on an external portion of the core 96 or an internal portion of the core 96 (e.g., via aperture 100 that leads to a cavity or other opening in the core 96). In some embodiments, the tether 32 can include a knot, ball, wedge, or other blocking element sized larger than the aperture 100 to prevent the tether from being released from the core 96. Likewise, the tether 32 can be coupled to at least one of housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 via a knot made by passing the tether 32 through one or more apertures in housing portion 142 and housing portion 146. Other techniques of fastening the tether 32 to housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 as well as the core 84 are additionally contemplated (e.g., adhesion, soldering, etc.).

[0135] As noted above, upon firing, housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 unfurl from the core 96 due to the rotation of the bullet assembly 140. The diameter between housing portion 124 and housing portion 146 (when fully extended) can be approximately 3 ft., 4 ft., 5 ft., 6 ft., or another value. As housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 rotate during flight, housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 operate as masses on the end of the tether 32. The outward centrifugal force on the bullet assembly 140 causes housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 to separate and the tether 32 keeps housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 connected, for example, via the core 96. In a given diameter, there are three masses (housing portion 142, housing portion 146, and core 96) that can operate as anti-drone projectiles. In addition, the tether 32 attached to each of housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 operates to provide fouling action to the drone 60 (e g., catching rotating blades of a drone 60, knocking the drone 60 off target, orotherwise entangling the drone 60). In this manner, the bullet assembly 140 when fired operates as an entanglement weapon consisting of multiple weights attached to cords to ensnare a target (e.g., drone 60).

[0136] As noted above, in some embodiments, housing portion housing portion 144, housing portion 148, and core 84 operate as a lead segment while housing portion 142, housing portion 146, and core 96 operate as a trailing segment when in operation. This may be due to their placement within the bullet assembly 140 and, for example, can be due to differences in the diameter between housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 when fully extended and housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 when fully extended (e.g., during flight). As noted above, the diameter of housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 when extended can be smaller than the diameter of housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 when extended (i.e., while spinning subsequent to being fired). These differences in diameter cause housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 to rotate (i.e., spin) more slowly than the rate at which housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 rotate (e.g., due to conservation of angular momentum).

[0137] For example, when fired, housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 may have identical spin rates (i.e., revolutions per minute or RPM) as housing portion 142 and housing portion 146. However, as housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 unfurl and as housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 unfurl, the diameter of housing portion 142 and housing portion 146, in some embodiments, is greater than the diameter of housing portion 144 and housing portion 148. This causes housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 as the trailing segment (in conjunction with core 96) to decelerate from its initial RPM when fired at a greater rate than housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 (in conjunction with core 84) as the lead segment decelerates. This can provide for a two-stage entanglement weapon with housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 extended with a first diameter arriving at targeted location first and with housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 extended with a second diameter greater than the first diameter arriving at the targeted location thereafter while allowing for a larger diameter of anti-drone elements available to ensnare a target (e.g., drone 60).

[0138] Additionally, while the bullet assembly 140 has been discussed above inclusive of core 84 and core 96, in some embodiments, one or more of core 84 and core 96 can be omitted. In these embodiments, housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 (absent core 84) and / or housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 (absent core 96) can be joined in a manner similar to that discussed above with respect to housing 48 of the bullet assembly 46 in FIG. 6. That is, housing portion 142, housing portion 144, housing portion 146, and housing portion 148 can be joined to form a housing of the bullet assembly 140 with tethers 32 coupled between the respective housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 and between housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 in a manner similar to that described above with respect to housing 48 of the bullet assembly 46 in FIG. 6. Thus, the bullet assembly 140 can include six segments (housing portion 144, housing portion 148, and core 84 as a lead segment and housing portion 142, housing portion 146, and core 96 as a trailing segment), five segments (housing portion 144, housing portion 148, and core 84 as a lead segment and housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 as a trailing segment or housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 as a lead segment and housing portion 142, housing portion 146, and core 96 as a trailing segment), four segments (housing portion 144 and housing portion 148 as a lead segment and housing portion 142 and housing portion 146 as a trailing segment), or additional configurations of segments inclusive of or exclusive of core 84 and core 96.

[0139] The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [performing [a function]...” or “step for [performing [a function], . it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

Claims

CLAIMS1. An apparatus, comprising:a bullet assembly, comprising:a first housing portion;a second housing portion in physical contact with the first housing portion; a connector coupled to the first housing portion and coupled to the second housing portion, wherein the connector maintains a connection between the first housing portion and the second housing portion when the first housing portion and the second housing portion separate subsequent to firing of the bullet assembly from a rifled barrel of a firearm; anda core coupled to the connector, wherein the core comprises a first portion about which the connector is wound in a first direction opposite to a second direction corresponding to rotation of the first housing portion and the second housing portion subsequent to the firing of the bullet assembly, wherein the core is configured to allow the connector to unwind freely as the first housing portion and the second housing portion separate subsequent to the firing of the bullet assembly until the connector is unwound fully from the core.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first housing portion comprises a cavity configured to house the first portion of the core.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the core comprises a second portion configured to be disposed external from the cavity of the first housing portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second portion of the core, the first housing, and the second housing comprise a housing as an external portion of the bullet assembly.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the core comprises an aperture, wherein the connector is configured to pass through the aperture to be coupled to an internal portion of the core.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises a first connector segment coupled to the first housing portion and a second connector segment coupled to the second housing portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the core comprises a second portion about which the second connector segment is wound, wherein the first connector segment is wound about the first portion in conjunction with winding the connector.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bullet assembly comprises:a third housing portion;a fourth housing portion in physical contact with the second housing portion;a second connector coupled to the third housing portion and coupled to the fourth housing portion, wherein the second connector maintains a connection between the third housing portion and the fourth housing portion when the third housing portion and the fourth housing portion separate subsequent to the firing of the bullet assembly from the rifled barrel of the firearm; anda second core coupled to the second connector, wherein the second core comprises a second portion about which the second connector is wound in the first direction opposite to the second direction, wherein the second core is configured to allow the second connector to unwind freely as the first housing portion and the second housing portion separate subsequent to the firing of the bullet assembly until the second connector is unwound fully from the second core.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the bullet assembly comprises a housing as an exterior portion of the bullet assembly, wherein the housing comprises the first housing portion, the second housing portion, the third housing portion, the fourth housing portion, and at least a second portion of the core.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the bullet assembly comprises an exterior portion comprising a first housing and a second housing, wherein the first housing comprises thefirst housing portion, the second housing portion, and the core, wherein the second housing comprises the third housing portion and the fourth housing portion.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the bullet assembly comprises a lead segment and a trailing segment, wherein the lead segment comprises the first housing portion, the second housing portion, and the core and the trailing segment comprises the third housing portion, the fourth housing portion, and the second core.

12. An apparatus, comprising:a core comprising a centrally located portion of a bullet assembly, wherein the core comprises:an upper portion as a portion of an exterior of the bullet assembly; and a lower portion disposed within an interior of the bullet assembly; and a connector coupled to the lower portion of the core, wherein the core is configured to store the connector in a wound state prior to firing of the bullet assembly from a rifled barrel of a firearm.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the lower portion of the core comprises an aperture to provide a channel through which the connector passes to be coupled to the lower portion of the core.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, comprising a housing portion as a second portion of the exterior of the bullet assembly.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the housing portion is configured to be directly coupled to the connector.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the housing portion comprises an aperture to provide a channel through which the connector passes to be coupled to the housing portion.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the lower portion of the core comprises a winding section about which the connector is wound to store the connector in the wound state.

18. An apparatus, comprising:a cartridge, comprising:a cartridge case; anda bullet assembly disposed partially in the cartridge case, wherein the bullet assembly comprises:a first housing portion as first portion of an exterior of the bullet assembly;a second housing as second portion of the exterior of the bullet assembly, wherein the cartridge case is configured to hold the first housing portion in physical contact with the second housing portion;a core as comprising centrally located portion of a bullet assembly, wherein the core comprises an upper portion as a third portion of the exterior of the bullet assembly and a lower portion disposed within an interior of the bullet assembly; anda connector coupled to the lower portion of the core and the first housing portion, wherein the core is configured to store the connector in a wound state prior to firing of the bullet assembly from a rifled barrel of a firearm.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the bullet assembly comprises a second connector coupled to the lower portion of the core and the second housing portion, wherein the core is configured to store the second connector in a wound state prior to the firing of the bullet assembly from the rifled barrel of the firearm.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the bullet assembly comprises:a second core disposed adjacent to the core;a third housing portion as fourth portion of the exterior of the bullet assembly; anda second connector coupled to the second core and the third housing portion, wherein the second core is configured to store the second connector in a wound state prior to the firing of the bullet assembly from the rifled barrel of the firearm.

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