Projectile Body Constriction for Controlled Splinter Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing projectiles, particularly in the medium-caliber range, face challenges in achieving high hit accuracy and efficient production due to stringent requirements for roundness and assembly, leading to high rejection rates and potential fractures during launch.
Innovation Solution
A projectile body formed as a tube section from brittle, hardened material with a constriction in the central region to guide and safely break open upon impact, allowing for precise splinter formation and reduced dependency on the expansion medium, with reworking limited to the inner diameter on one side or both sides, preventing oscillation and enhancing precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the projectile body is made from brittle, hardened material to achieve splinter formation, then terminal-ballistic effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing precision and roundness become more difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a constriction zone in the central region of the projectile body that has different structural characteristics from the rest of the body. This constriction zone is designed to be a preferential location for breaking open, while the outer regions maintain the required roundness and structural integrity for flight stability. The constriction allows the brittle material to break predictably at a specific location rather than requiring the entire body to be perfectly uniform.
Solution Approach 2:
The projectile body is effectively segmented into two functional zones: an outer region with high roundness requirements for flight stability and a central constriction zone designed for controlled breaking. This segmentation allows different parts of the same component to serve different functions with different structural requirements, resolving the contradiction between needing brittleness for splinter formation and roundness for accurate flight.
2Measurement precision
If reworking is performed over the full length of the barrel section to achieve required roundness, then hit accuracy is improved, but production effort and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The constriction zone is positioned in the central region of the projectile body, which allows reworking to be concentrated on only the inner diameter at specific locations (one side or both sides) rather than the full length. The outer diameter and most of the inner diameter can be produced with standard tolerances, requiring reworking only in the constriction region where precise dimensional control is needed for the breaking mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The constriction zone is designed and positioned during the initial forming process, allowing the majority of the projectile body to be produced without extensive reworking. The preliminary formation of the constriction zone enables subsequent reworking to be limited to specific areas, reducing overall production effort while maintaining the necessary precision for hit accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If the penetrator is precisely manufactured to achieve desired hit accuracy, then trajectory stability is improved, but the risk of fractures during production and launch increases
Solution Approach 1:
The constriction zone creates a localized area of reduced structural integrity that acts as a stress relief point. This allows the penetrator and surrounding material to be manufactured with high precision where needed, while the constriction zone naturally becomes the preferential breaking point under stress, preventing unpredictable fractures in other critical areas during production and launch.
Solution Approach 2:
The potential harm of fractures is converted into a benefit by designing the constriction zone as a controlled weakness that directs breaking to occur at a specific location. Instead of risking unpredictable fractures throughout the projectile body, the design intentionally creates a predetermined fracture zone that protects the penetrator and critical structures from damage while maintaining hit accuracy.
4Stability of the object's composition
If segment parts and core part are inserted into the outer sleeve area with precise joining, then assembly connectivity is improved, but device complexity and production difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the segment parts and core part into a single integrated projectile body formed as one piece. The constriction zone is created during the forming process rather than through assembly of multiple components. This eliminates the need for complex joining operations while maintaining the structural integrity and connectivity required for stable flight and reliable function.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of assembling multiple parts to create the projectile body, the invention inverts the approach by forming the entire body as a single piece and then creating the constriction zone as a localized feature. This reversal of the manufacturing sequence simplifies production by eliminating assembly steps while achieving the same functional result of having distinct zones for flight stability and controlled breaking.
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
This design enhances hit accuracy by ensuring safe breakup and splinter formation, reduces production effort, and allows for the use of various materials, with adaptability across different calibers, including the option to dispense with an expansion medium.
Implementation Method 1
This compresses an expansion medium on hitting a target
Implementation Method 2
Due to the brittleness of the material of the projectile body, the desired splinter formation is achieved
Data Source
AI summary
A projectile having a projectile body for holding a penetrator, a projectile rear, and a projectile ogive. The projectile body has a narrowed point, on which the penetrator can be supported. The narrowed point results in reliable breaking open of the projectile body when the projectile hits a target.