CEW Cartridge Safety Guard with Insulated Contacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conductive energy weapons (CEWs) lack effective safety mechanisms to prevent accidental firings due to static charges or unintentional trigger pulls, posing risks of injury or damage.
Innovation Solution
A safety guard system for CEW ammunition cartridges, comprising electrically conductive components with biased retainers and clips that secure the cartridge, preventing electrical discharge by ensuring insufficient voltage across the squib when a trigger is pulled, and featuring an insulator to prevent current flow through a target.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a safety guard is added to prevent accidental firings, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety guard is designed as a cover that fits over the cartridge, with electrical contacts integrated into the guard structure. The guard contains the electrical contacts and insulator within its body, creating a nested configuration where the safety mechanism is housed within the guard itself, which then fits over the cartridge. This nesting approach consolidates multiple safety components into a single integrated unit, improving safety while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
An electrical insulator is introduced as an intermediary component positioned between the electrical contacts and the target. The insulator prevents direct electrical contact through the target while allowing the safety guard to maintain its electrical connection function. This intermediary element enables the safety guard to provide both electrical connection and protection functions without requiring complex additional mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If electrical contacts are exposed for functionality, then ease of operation is improved, but object-generated harmful factors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical contacts are nested within the safety guard body, which provides physical protection and containment. The contacts are not fully exposed but are accessible through the guard structure, allowing electrical connection while preventing accidental contact or discharge. This nesting approach maintains ease of operation by keeping contacts accessible while reducing harmful factors through physical containment.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety guard itself acts as an intermediary structure between the exposed electrical contacts and the external environment. The guard's body provides a protective barrier that allows electrical contacts to remain functional while preventing accidental discharge. The insulator within the guard serves as a secondary intermediary that further protects against unintended electrical contact through the target.
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 safety guard effectively prevents accidental firings and misfires caused by static charges or unintentional trigger pulls, ensuring safe handling and operation of CEWs by ensuring the cartridge does not fire unless manually activated by the user.
Implementation Method 1
An electrical insulator may be coupled at a top of the body and may be configured to prevent an electrical current from passing between the first electrode and the second electrode through a target when the target is coupled with the first electrode and the second electrode only through the electrical insulator.
Implementation Method 2
The first electrical contact may apply a pressure to the first electrode and the second electrical contact may apply a pressure to the second electrode sufficient to retain the body coupled with the cartridge.
Data Source
AI summary
A safety guard for an ammunition cartridge (cartridge) of a conductive energy weapon (CEW) includes a body having a first electrical contact on a first side of the body and a second electrical contact on a second side of the body opposite the first side of the body. The first and second electrical contacts are in electrical communication with each other through the body. The first and second electrical contacts are configured to contact a first electrode of the cartridge and a second electrode of the cartridge, respectively, when the body is placed over the cartridge. The safety guard is configured to prevent the cartridge from firing when a firing input, such as a trigger pull, is received by the CEW from a user. In implementations the body includes at least one clip having a projection configured to be inserted in a corresponding depression of the cartridge of the CEW.