Bow Magazine Segmentation for Consistent Projectile Contact Pressure

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing magazines for weapons, particularly bow weapons, fail to provide consistent and adjustable contact pressure to projectiles, leading to uneven flight characteristics and reliability issues as the magazine nears depletion.

Innovation Solution

A magazine with a storage section and a separating mechanism that uses an actuation mechanism to separate and hold projectiles with a predefined force, independent of the number of projectiles, ensuring consistent contact pressure and improved flight characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Force

If a resilient member is used to provide contact pressure to projectiles in the storage space, then the projectiles are held in place, but the contact pressure becomes uneven and dependent on the amount of projectiles contained in the magazine

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontact pressureVSAvoidflight characteristics consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The magazine is divided into a storage section for multiple projectiles and a separate holding section for the single separated projectile. The separating mechanism segments the projectile supply process, ensuring that each projectile receives consistent contact pressure from the resilient member regardless of the total number of projectiles in the magazine.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the projectile separation function from the general storage function. By taking out one projectile at a time from the storage space to the holding section using the separating mechanism, the system ensures that the contact pressure applied to the active projectile is independent of the number of projectiles remaining in storage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If projectiles are stored in a magazine for later use, then the weapon can fire multiple times without reloading, but the contact pressure on projectiles varies as the magazine nears depletion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverate of fireVSAvoidprojectile acceleration uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces dynamic adjustment capability through the separating mechanism. As projectiles are consumed from the storage section, the mechanism dynamically maintains proper contact pressure on the projectile in the holding section, ensuring consistent acceleration characteristics throughout the magazine's capacity cycle.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The holding section acts as an intermediary between the bulk storage and the firing mechanism. This intermediate stage ensures that the projectile receiving contact pressure is always in a controlled position, decoupling the pressure application from the varying number of projectiles in the storage section.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If a simple storage space is used without a separating mechanism, then the device complexity is reduced, but the contact pressure cannot be consistently controlled

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemagazine structureVSAvoidcontact pressure consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The magazine structure is segmented into distinct functional zones: a storage section for bulk projectile storage and a holding section for active projectile preparation. This segmentation adds minimal structural complexity while enabling consistent contact pressure control through the separating mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The separating mechanism is designed to automatically separate and position projectiles as they are consumed from the storage section. This self-service function maintains consistent contact pressure without requiring external intervention or complex control systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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

The solution provides superior flight characteristics and increased reliability by maintaining ideal contact pressure throughout the magazine's capacity, reducing user effort and handling concerns, and allowing for versatile configuration and high capacity.

Implementation Method 1

a resilient member configured to provide a force to push the retainer against the projectiles in the storage space

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4311996A1Magazine, weapon and method of manufacturing a magazine
Publication Date: 2024.01.31 MEY SYST GMBH
  • EP4311996A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4311996A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4311996A1 patent drawingFigure 4~7

AI summary

The present invention provides a magazine for storing and separating projectiles for a weapon, in particular for a bow weapon, comprising: a storage section, which is configured to house a plurality of at least partially cylindrical projectiles, in particular arrows or bolts, and extends in a first direction, and a separating mechanism coupled to the storage section and comprising an actuation section configured to be actuated by the movement of at least one actuation mechanism of a weapon when moved with respect to the first direction, wherein the separating mechanism upon actuation of the actuation section is configured to separate a single projectile from a plurality of projectiles in the storage section, and the separating mechanism comprises a holding section configured to hold the separated single projectile with a predefined force in a launching area of a weapon. Furthermore, the invention provides a weapon comprising such a magazine and method for manufacturing such a magazine.