Multi-piece Cartridge Casing with Flange Joint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current firearm ammunition cartridges face challenges with weight, cost, corrosion resistance, ductility, and performance due to the use of traditional materials like brass, steel, and aluminum, which are either heavy, expensive, or prone to failure under high pressures.
Innovation Solution
A multi-piece cartridge casing design utilizing a casing base and body made of different materials, where the casing body is secured to the base with a flange and an annular washer to enhance sealing and strength, allowing for the use of lighter and more cost-effective materials while maintaining performance under high pressures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional materials like brass, steel, and aluminum are used for cartridge casings, then the casings have sufficient strength to withstand high pressures, but the weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge casing is divided into multiple pieces: a body portion and a base portion made of different materials. The body can be made of lighter materials like aluminum or polymer while the base retains stronger materials like brass or steel, allowing weight reduction without sacrificing overall strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite construction by joining dissimilar materials (e.g., aluminum body with brass base, or polymer body with metal base). This allows each component to be optimized for its specific function - the body for weight savings and the base for strength and sealing - resolving the contradiction between weight and strength requirements.
2Strength
If traditional materials like brass and steel are used for cartridge casings, then the casings have good strength and durability, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the casing into body and base portions that can be manufactured separately using different processes and materials, the invention enables cost-effective production. Lighter, cheaper materials can be used for the body while maintaining strength-critical areas with traditional materials, reducing overall manufacturing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameters of different casing portions based on functional requirements. The body can use cost-effective materials with sufficient strength, while the base uses traditional materials only where needed for sealing and headspace, optimizing the cost-strength balance.
3Weight of moving object
If aluminum is used for cartridge casings, then the weight decreases, but the corrosion resistance and durability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines aluminum or polymer body portions with corrosion-resistant metal base portions (brass, steel). This composite approach maintains the weight advantages of aluminum while the metal base provides corrosion resistance and durability, particularly at the critical sealing interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies different material qualities to different portions of the casing. The body portion uses lightweight materials where corrosion resistance is less critical, while the base portion uses corrosion-resistant materials where reliability is most important, optimizing the weight-reliability balance.
4Weight of moving object
If a multi-piece design is used for cartridge casings, then the weight and cost are reduced through material optimization, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The casing is segmented into body and base portions that can be manufactured independently using standard processes, then joined through proven methods like swaging, crimping, or interference fitting. This segmentation enables material optimization for weight reduction while the joining mechanisms keep the overall system relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the manufacturing and assembly processes of multiple components into an integrated production flow. The body and base portions are manufactured separately using optimized processes for each material, then combined through efficient joining methods, achieving weight reduction without proportionally increasing complexity.
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 multi-piece design reduces weight and cost while improving corrosion resistance and durability, ensuring reliable performance across various firearm applications.
Implementation Method 1
deforming the proximal body end portion to extend radially outward, thereby defining a flange that occupies and conforms to the circumferential groove
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-piece ammunition cartridge casing includes a casing base extending along a central axis and defining an opening extending axially into the casing base from the distal base end. The inner casing surface defines a circumferential groove with a groove radius greater than a radius of an adjacent portion of the opening. The cartridge casing also includes a casing body with a proximal end portion disposed in the opening of the casing base. The casing body is secured to the casing base by way of a flange protruding radially outward in mating contact with the circumferential groove.