Projectile Insert with Skived Petals for Controlled Penetration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ammunition, such as armor piercing bullets, lack controlled penetration into soft targets and are subject to stringent legal restrictions, making them undesirable for law enforcement and hunters who need higher penetration capacity without causing unintended damage or injury.
Innovation Solution
A bullet design featuring a body with a recessed interior cavity and an insert that protrudes from the mouth, with skives forming petals that expand radially upon impact with a hard target, controlling penetration by creating a pocket and initiating outward expansion of the petals, thereby limiting axial recession and penetration into a soft target.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If armor piercing bullets are used to achieve high penetration capacity, then penetration into hard targets is improved, but penetration into soft targets becomes uncontrolled and causes injury or damage to distant objects
Solution Approach 1:
The bullet is divided into two functional segments: a hard penetrator insert for penetrating hard targets and a softer bullet body for controlled expansion in soft targets. The insert can be made of materials like tungsten, tungsten carbide, or depleted uranium, while the bullet body uses lead, copper, or alloy materials. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally without the harmful effects of a fully hardened bullet.
Solution Approach 2:
The bullet structure transitions from a static design to a dynamic one where the insert can move relative to the bullet body. The insert is retained in the bullet body through mechanisms like interference fit, mechanical retention features, or adhesive bonding, allowing it to remain in place during flight but move during impact. This dynamic behavior enables controlled expansion in soft targets while maintaining penetration capability against hard targets.
2Use of energy by moving object
If armor piercing bullets are used to achieve maximum energy penetration, then penetration depth into hard targets is improved, but the bullet travels too far into soft targets causing unintended injury or damage
Solution Approach 1:
Different parts of the bullet have different material properties optimized for specific functions. The insert has high hardness and density for penetrating hard targets with maximum energy, while the bullet body has softer, more ductile properties that allow controlled expansion and energy dissipation in soft targets. This local differentiation of material qualities ensures appropriate energy transfer to each target type without over-penetration.
3Strength
If a penetrator design is used to achieve hard target penetration, then penetration capacity is improved, but the bullet is subject to stringent federal laws restricting use and sale
Solution Approach 1:
The bullet design achieves multi-functionality by combining a penetrator insert with a conventional bullet body, allowing it to function effectively against both hard targets (providing armor-piercing capability) and soft targets (providing controlled expansion). This universal design enables the ammunition to be used in various law enforcement scenarios without triggering federal armor-piercing restrictions, as it does not solely rely on a penetrator design.
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 bullet achieves controlled penetration into soft targets while penetrating hard targets, reducing the risk of damage to distant objects and adhering to legal regulations by managing the expansion and penetration characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
when the insert impacts a hard target, and wherein the limited axial recession opens a pocket between the insert and the mouth
Implementation Method 2
The support feature is also formed in a radially inner surface of the plurality of petals and is configured to permit limited axial recession of the insert into the interior cavity when the insert impacts a hard target. The limited axial recession opens a pocket between the insert and the mouth and also initiates a radially outward expansion of the support feature and thereby the plurality of petals in which the support feature is formed.
Data Source
AI summary
A bullet (10) including: body (11) with a base (12), a distal end (13) with a mouth (14), and an interior cavity (34) recessed into the body from the mouth; an insert (40) configured to be held in the interior cavity and to protrude from the mouth; and at least one skive (50) formed in the distal end and axially overlapping the interior cavity relative to a center axis (16) of the body. The interior cavity is configured to permit limited axial recession of the insert into the interior cavity when the insert impacts a hard target. The limited axial recession opens a pocket (80) between the insert and the mouth.