Ammunition Magazine Shock Absorbing Tab Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Firearm magazines are sensitive to shock and rough handling, leading to misalignment and damage during extraction from storage pouches, which can be time-critical and hazardous.
Innovation Solution
An ammunition magazine design featuring a housing with a spring retainer and follower plate, where the spring retainer has an extension tab for shock absorption and easy extraction, and a biasing member to maintain the spring retainer's position, allowing for smooth movement and secure handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If magazines are tightly gripped in pouches to prevent movement and limit shock during storage, then shock protection is improved, but ease of extraction deteriorates because pouches fully receive the magazine leaving no exposed portions for convenient gripping
Solution Approach 1:
The magazine is divided into two functional segments: a protected core (housing with cartridges) and an exposed interaction point (extension tab). The extension tab protrudes from the pouch while the main body remains protected, allowing extraction without compromising shock protection during storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension tab acts as an intermediary element between the user and the magazine. It provides a gripping surface that extends beyond the pouch boundary, mediating the extraction action while the pouch continues to protect the main magazine body from shock during storage.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If magazines are tightly gripped in pouches to prevent movement, then shock protection is improved, but reliability deteriorates because extraction becomes difficult and time-consuming during critical situations
Solution Approach 1:
The magazine design segments the protected storage portion from the accessible extraction portion. The extension tab is positioned to extend beyond the pouch opening, ensuring reliable and quick extraction even when the pouch is fully compressed around the magazine body.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the spring retainer is positioned to provide shock absorption, then shock protection is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The extension tab serves multiple functions: it acts as a shock-absorbing element during extraction, provides a gripping surface for the user, and maintains the spring retainer's position within the housing. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension tab is designed to compress and absorb shock forces before they can reach the cartridges and housing. This beforehand cushioning protects the internal components from damage during extraction and handling.
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
Enhances shock absorption and facilitates quick, safe extraction of the magazine from storage pouches, reducing the risk of damage and improving handling efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
A biasing member biases the spring retainer into the expanded position
Implementation Method 2
The spring retainer is reciprocally movable within the housing between an expanded position and a compressed position
Data Source
AI summary
An ammunition magazine including a housing having a first end and an opposing second end for carrying stacked cartridges, a follower plate reciprocally movable within the housing, a spring retainer reciprocally movable within the housing and having an extension tab extending therefrom toward the second end, and a biasing member carried by the housing between the follower plate and the spring retainer. The biasing member biases the follower plate toward the first end and biases the spring retainer toward the second end. A bottom plate closes the second end of the housing and retains the spring retainer within the housing. The bottom plate includes an opening extending therethrough permitting passage of the extension tab therethrough in reciprocal directions.