Rifle Gas Chamber Relocation for Barrel Bending and Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rifles face challenges in achieving low weight, accurate shooting, and minimizing recoil due to the movement of heavy components and bending forces on the barrel caused by propellant gases in existing designs.
Innovation Solution
A rifle design featuring a gas chamber integrated with the barrel receiver, a piston assembly with a helical spring system, and a guiding mechanism that minimizes barrel bending and recoil by using a reduced thickness barrel and a jerk-like short stroke piston movement, integrated piston assembly for easier maintenance, and modular housing for adaptable barrel lengths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a thicker wall barrel is used to reduce bending effects, then firing accuracy is improved, but the weight of the rifle increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas chamber is extracted from the traditional position above the barrel and relocated to the barrel receiver area. This removes the source of bending moments from the barrel structure, allowing the use of thinner-walled barrels without compromising accuracy, thus reducing overall rifle weight while maintaining firing precision.
2Extent of automation
If propellant gases are directed into the gas chamber above the barrel, then the self-loading mechanism is activated, but bending moments are exerted on the barrel reducing firing accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
A guiding tube is introduced as an intermediary component to channel propellant gases from the barrel directly to the piston in the barrel receiver area. This mediator allows the gas pressure to activate the self-loading mechanism while preventing the gases from creating bending moments on the barrel, thus maintaining both automated operation and firing accuracy.
3Extent of automation
If the gas chamber is mounted above the barrel, then the self-loading mechanism operates, but the barrel experiences curvature due to gas forces
Solution Approach 1:
The gas chamber system is relocated from a vertical arrangement above the barrel to a horizontal arrangement in the barrel receiver area. This dimensional change in positioning allows the gas forces to act along the longitudinal axis of the rifle rather than creating perpendicular bending moments, thus maintaining barrel straightness while preserving self-loading operation.
4Weight of moving object
If a reduced thickness barrel is used to lower weight, then rifle weight is reduced, but the barrel becomes more susceptible to bending forces
Solution Approach 1:
The gas chamber is extracted from the position that would create bending forces on the barrel. By relocating it to the barrel receiver area and using a guiding tube to direct gases to the piston, the system eliminates the bending moment source, allowing reduced thickness barrels to maintain sufficient resistance to bending while achieving weight reduction.
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 solution results in reduced recoil, improved accuracy due to minimized barrel bending, lower overall weight, and enhanced maintenance efficiency by integrating the piston assembly, while allowing for adaptable barrel lengths and reduced noise during operation.
Implementation Method 1
a helical spring arranged within the blind hole of the guide in a way to lean against the bottom of the blind hole of the guide with one end and connected to the fixed piston with its other end
Implementation Method 2
the rapidly expanding propellant gases in the bullet are guided into the gas chamber above the barrel through a passage near the rifle muzzle. The pressurized gases in the gas chamber push the long-stroke piston with the bolt carrier backwards
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a rifle with an auto-loading mechanism having a gas chamber 11 with a guiding tube 12 connected to a gas adapter, and a piston assembly 20 comprising an impact damper 21, a piston 32 slidingly movable within the gas chamber 11, a guide 29 fixed to the piston at one end and provided at its other end with a blind hole 31, a fixed piston 26 slidingly movable at one end within the blind hole 31 of the guide and fixed to the impact damper 21 at the other end, a helical spring 27 arranged within the blind hole 31 of the guide and a return helical spring 24 arranged around the guide 29 in a way to lean against a stop in the guiding sleeve 17 with one end and against the impact damper 21 with the other end, wherein the gas chamber 11 is arranged on the rifle barrel 5 in the area of the barrel receiver 16. The advantage of the rifle according to the invention lies in that it allows for more accurate shooting, has lower weight and less recoils.