Reactive Target Dispensing Chalk Powder for Immediate Visual Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional targets for long-range firearm practice often fail to provide immediate and direct visual feedback to shooters due to recoil issues and safety concerns with chemical reactions, making it difficult to determine accuracy and safety at long distances.

Innovation Solution

A reactive target design featuring an outer container, an inner container filled with a non-compressible material like water, and a compressible material such as chalk powder, which disperses visibly upon impact, providing a direct and immediate visible report from distances up to 100 yards or more without chemical reactions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional targets are used at long distances, then the shooter cannot determine accuracy immediately, but using chemical reactions to provide immediate feedback creates safety risks and fire hazards

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimmediate feedback reliabilityVSAvoidsafety risks and fire damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces chemical reaction systems with a mechanical system. When a projectile hits the target, it pierces the inner container, allowing the compressible material to expand and disperse the non-compressible material into the atmosphere, creating a visible cloud without chemical explosions or fire hazards.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanical mechanism (the inner container with compressible and non-compressible materials) that translates the impact energy into a visible response. This intermediary system provides the desired immediate visual feedback without requiring direct chemical reactions at the target site.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If chemical reactions are used to generate visible reports, then immediate visual feedback is provided, but the complexity of safety regulations and prohibitions increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimmediate visual reportVSAvoidsafety regulations and prohibitions

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent substitutes mechanical material displacement for chemical reactions. The visible report is generated by physically dispersing non-compressible material (such as chalk powder or talc) into the air using the expansion of compressible material, eliminating the need for chemical explosives and associated safety regulations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The target uses disposable, inexpensive materials such as paper or plastic containers filled with common substances like chalk powder, talc, or flour. These materials provide the desired visual effect without the regulatory burden of controlled substances or explosives.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Device complexity

If the target uses only outer container without inner container, then the structure is simpler, but the visible report effect is insufficient at long distances

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontainer structureVSAvoidvisibility of report at long distance

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a nested container structure where an inner container is placed inside an outer container. The inner container holds the non-compressible material that forms the visible cloud, while the outer container provides structural support and contains the compressible material. This nested arrangement maximizes the visible report effect at long distances.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a composite system combining compressible material (such as air or gas-filled bladder) and non-compressible material (such as chalk powder, talc, or flour) within the nested container structure. This composite material system ensures both structural integrity and effective visible report generation when impacted.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 reactive target system allows shooters to receive immediate and direct visual feedback on their shots from long distances, enhancing accuracy and safety by using kinetic energy to disperse a visible cloud of chalk powder, eliminating the risks associated with chemical reactions.

Implementation Method 1

Upon being hit by a bullet, the reactive target may provide a shooter with an immediate and direct visible report... kinetic energy to disperse a visible cloud of chalk powder

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectKinetic energy transfer: Impact Force

Data Source

PatentUS10113840B2Reactive target for use with firearms

Publication Date: 2018.10.30 FARNSWORTH DAVID P

AI summary

A reactive target for use in target practice with a firearm is configured to, when hit by a projectile, such as a bullet, from a firearm with sufficient force, disperse a material in a manner that provides a visible report of the shooter's results from close up or from a long distance and directly and immediately to the shooter. The reactive target includes an inner container that carries a non-compressible material and an outer container that carries the inner container and a dispersible material, which may be a compressible material. The reactive target is particularly useful with high velocity, high impact force firearms. Methods for making the reactive target and methods of target practice using the reactive target are also disclosed.