Arrowhead Blade Retention Bumps for Simultaneous Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing arrowheads, particularly broadheads, face issues with high drag and inefficient penetration due to additional components like gears and consumables, which increase weight, cost, and the likelihood of failure, while also struggling to ensure simultaneous and equal deployment of blades.
Innovation Solution
An arrowhead mechanical blade retention system with bifurcated body and pivotal blades featuring retention bumps that create tension to hold blades in place during flight and deploy upon impact, eliminating the need for extra components and ensuring simultaneous deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If additional components like gears and consumables are used in broadheads, then blade deployment can be achieved, but the number of components increases, leading to higher weight, cost, and likelihood of failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes gears, springs, and other mechanical components from the broadhead system, retaining only the essential blade structure with retention bumps that enable deployment through impact alone
Solution Approach 2:
The blades are designed to deploy automatically through the force of impact with the target, without requiring external mechanical assistance from gears or springs. The retention bumps engage with the blade edges to enable self-deployment
2Ease of operation
If additional components like gears and consumables are used in broadheads, then blade deployment can be achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes gears, springs, and other mechanical components from the broadhead system, retaining only the essential blade structure with retention bumps that enable deployment through impact alone
Solution Approach 2:
The retention bumps are simple geometric features formed directly in the blade material during manufacturing, eliminating the need for expensive separate components like gears and springs
3Ease of operation
If additional components like gears and consumables are used in broadheads, then blade deployment can be achieved, but the likelihood of failure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes gears, springs, and other mechanical components from the broadhead system, retaining only the essential blade structure with retention bumps that enable deployment through impact alone
Solution Approach 2:
The blades are designed to deploy automatically through the force of impact with the target, without requiring external mechanical assistance from gears or springs. The retention bumps engage with the blade edges to enable self-deployment
4Loss of energy
If blades are retained during flight, then aerodynamic performance improves, but deployment upon impact becomes less reliable
Solution Approach 1:
The retention bumps are designed to engage with the blade edges during flight to maintain aerodynamic profile, but automatically disengage when impact force exceeds retention force, enabling reliable deployment
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static retention mechanism to a dynamic one where the retention force of the bumps changes based on operational conditions - maintaining engagement during flight and releasing during impact
5Productivity
If blades are made to deploy simultaneously, then performance is improved, but ensuring equal deployment is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The retention bumps are positioned asymmetrically on opposite sides of the bifurcated body, creating equal and opposite engagement forces that ensure simultaneous deployment of both blades
Solution Approach 2:
The symmetric positioning of retention bumps on the bifurcated body creates equal mechanical conditions for both blades, ensuring they deploy simultaneously when impact force is applied
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces the number of components, lowers manufacturing costs, and ensures simultaneous and equal deployment of blades, enhancing aerodynamics during flight and penetration upon impact, while minimizing the risk of failure and extra handling steps.
Implementation Method 1
First blade bump is opposed with and interfering with second blade bump when the first and second blades are operatively set to the flight position and rotated in opposite directions about the pintle from the flight position towards the deployed position, the interference operatively retaining the first and second blades in the flight position
Data Source
AI summary
An arrowhead mechanical blade retention system incorporates retention bumps directly on a pair of opposed deployable blades. When closing or opening the mechanical blades in a broadhead, the retention bumps are forced to pass each other prior to the mechanical blades deploying. This necessarily puts tension on each blade, tending to hold them into position without any additional components. With sufficient force, the blades will simultaneously cross from a closed flight position with a pivot point on one side of the broadhead body to an open and deployed position on the other side of the broadhead body. Once the retention bumps pass each other to release the blades, there is a significantly reduced force required to completely deploy the blades.