Reloadable Training Munition Mechanical Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current reloadable training munitions require specialized equipment and workshop environments for proper reloading, leading to inconsistent performance and increased costs due to the inability to accurately replicate the high/low pressure propulsion system of actual munitions, resulting in inefficient training and safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A reloadable training munition system comprising a reusable projectile, shell base, and reload insert with a mechanical attachment mechanism, allowing field reloading without specialized tools, using a high/low pressure propulsion system that includes a blank cartridge and rupture disc housed in a reload insert secured within the shell base by a set screw or other mechanical retention systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If prior training systems use glue to secure the reload insert, then the reload is retained in the shell base, but the glue accumulates on the primer wear face causing accidental discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the glue-securing method entirely and replaces it with a mechanical retention system using a set screw that engages with a threaded hole in the reload insert. This extraction of the harmful glue element eliminates the accumulation problem on the primer wear face while maintaining secure retention of the reload insert during firing.
Solution Approach 2:
The set screw acts as an intermediary mechanical element between the shell base and the reload insert, providing a secure connection without using glue. The set screw threads into the hollow cavity of the shell base and engages the reload insert, serving as a clean intermediary that prevents direct contact between bonding agents and the primer area.
2Ease of manufacture
If specialized presses and workshop equipment are used for reloading, then the blank cartridges can be pressed out and new cartridges pressed in, but the operation cannot be performed in the field and requires workshop environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the reloading operation into simple manual steps that can be performed without specialized equipment. The set screw mechanism allows the reload insert to be easily removed and replaced by hand or with simple tools, dividing the complex pressing operation into manageable segments that can be executed in the field.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical set screw retention system enables the user to perform the reloading operation themselves without requiring specialized workshop equipment or technical expertise. The design allows field personnel to service and reload their own munitions using only basic hand tools, making the system self-sufficient in field conditions.
3Ease of operation
If the mechanical retention system uses a set screw to secure the reload insert, then the reload can be easily removed and replaced in the field, but additional components are required
Solution Approach 1:
The set screw serves multiple functions: it secures the reload insert to the shell base, provides a means for easy removal and replacement, and acts as a retention mechanism that can be operated with simple tools. This multi-functional element achieves ease of field operation without requiring a complex system of multiple retention components.
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
Enables rapid and safe reloading in the field, achieving consistent performance and significant cost savings through the use of lower-cost reusable components and minimizing turnaround time, while ensuring the same projectile velocities and shot-to-shot variation as actual munitions.
Implementation Method 1
a blank cartridge that receives a propellant charge
Implementation Method 2
a rupture disc that separates a high pressure chamber from a low pressure chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A reloadable munition having a reusable shell base having a hollow cavity on a bottom face to accept a propulsion system reload and a reusable projectile inserted into a top portion of the shell base, and a mechanical retainer for the propulsion system reload in the shell base to provide reloading and reusing of the munition by hand.