Predictably Fragmenting Projectile with Internal Petals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bullet designs often face a tradeoff between penetration and expansion, with unpredictable fragmentation limiting their effectiveness in targeting, as they either fail to penetrate vital organs or cause collateral damage due to inadequate penetration.
Innovation Solution
A predictably fragmenting projectile with internally-arranged geometric features, featuring a smooth ogive and petals attached to a core, designed to deform and fragment predictably upon encountering specific media, ensuring controlled expansion and penetration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the bullet is designed to expand in the target, then the damaging effect is increased, but the penetration capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bullet is divided into multiple segments or petals that are initially contained within a smooth outer ogive. Upon target engagement, these segments separate and expand outward to create damaging effects while the core structure maintains penetration capability. This segmentation allows the bullet to provide both expansion for damage and a solid core for penetration.
2Length of moving object
If the bullet is designed to penetrate deeply, then the penetration capability is increased, but the expansion and damaging effect are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bullet structure separates penetration function (handled by the solid core and smooth ogive) from damage function (handled by the expanding petals). The segmented design allows the core to maintain penetration while the petals provide expansion capability when conditions are right.
3Strength
If the bullet fragments unpredictably, then the damaging effect may increase, but the reliability and control over fragmentation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fragmentation characteristics are predetermined during manufacturing by creating specific geometric features, petal structures, and weak points within the bullet. These preliminary arrangements ensure that when fragmentation occurs upon target engagement, it follows a predictable and controlled pattern rather than being random.
Solution Approach 2:
The bullet design incorporates specific geometric parameters and structural configurations that control when and how fragmentation occurs. By carefully designing the petal geometry, material properties, and internal structure, the fragmentation behavior can be tuned to occur only under specific conditions (such as target engagement) while maintaining reliability.
4Ease of operation
If the bullet maintains a smooth outer ogive, then the feeding capability is improved, but the fragmentation control is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The complex fragmented petal structure is nested within the smooth outer ogive. The smooth exterior maintains good feeding characteristics while the nested internal structure provides the fragmentation control. This nested design allows the bullet to have both a simple external form for reliable feeding and a complex internal structure for controlled fragmentation.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of a predictably fragmenting projectile having internally-arranged geometric features are disclosed herein. According to various embodiments, a predictably fragmenting projectile having internally-arranged geometric features can include a substantially solid core of a material; a substantially continuous and smooth outer ogive; a plurality of petals attached to the core and formed from the material, each of the plurality of petals can include a smooth outer surface and can be formed by two break lines formed on the inside of the petals; and a cavity that is located proximate to the core and inner surfaces of the plurality of petals. The fragmenting projectile can be configured to deform by at least one of the plurality of petals pivoting outwardly relative to the cavity.