Separable Projectile with Reduced Contact Interface
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional firearm projectiles, such as lead or steel jacketed ones, face challenges in achieving increased weight without lengthening, which reduces propelling charge and requires different rifling twist rates, and they suffer from high barrel friction and fouling due to their design.
Innovation Solution
A projectile with separable nose and tail portions and a reduced contact area interface, made from high-density metal matrix composites or ceramics, that eliminates the need for a jacket, allowing for controlled fragmentation and delivery of supplemental payloads, while reducing barrel friction and fouling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the projectile weight is increased without lengthening, then terminal energy and penetration are improved, but the propelling charge volume is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the density parameter by using high-density materials (tungsten, depleted uranium, or other dense metals) for the projectile core, allowing weight increase without volume increase. This enables the projectile to achieve higher terminal energy and penetration while maintaining the same case volume and propelling charge volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction with a dense metal core (tungsten, depleted uranium, or other high-density materials) surrounded by a lighter material such as copper or other alloys. This composite structure allows optimization of weight-to-volume ratio, achieving increased projectile weight without proportionally increasing volume, thus preserving propelling charge volume while improving terminal energy.
2Ease of manufacture
If a jacketed lead projectile is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but barrel friction and fouling increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the traditional copper jacket from the projectile design. By removing the jacket layer entirely and using a bare dense metal core or composite structure, the patent reduces the contact area between the projectile and barrel rifling, thereby reducing barrel friction and fouling while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through simplified production processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality changes by modifying only the critical contact surfaces. Instead of using a full jacketed structure, the patent uses a reduced contact area design where the dense metal core or composite structure directly engages the barrel rifling at a minimized interface, reducing friction and fouling at the critical interaction zone while maintaining structural integrity.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the projectile contact area with rifling is reduced, then barrel friction and heat buildup are reduced, but structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite material construction with a dense metal core (tungsten, depleted uranium, or other high-density materials) surrounded by a lighter material such as copper or other alloys. This composite structure provides both reduced contact area for lower friction and sufficient structural integrity through the layered composition, where each material contributes its mechanical properties to the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material density parameter by using high-density materials for the core structure, allowing the projectile to achieve sufficient structural integrity with reduced contact area. The high-density core provides the necessary strength and rigidity while minimizing the overall volume and contact surface area with the barrel rifling.
Data Source
AI summary
A projectile structured to be discharged from a firearm comprising a body including a nose portion and a tail portion separable from one another when the projectile strikes a target. The body further includes an interface disposed intermediate opposite ends of the body of the projectile and structured to removably interconnect the nose and tail portions. Separation of the nose and tail portions such as when striking a soft tissue or like material target is caused by the tumbling of the projectile and the cooperative structuring of the interface to facilitate separation of the nose and tail portions. Further, the interface is disposed, dimensioned and structured to define the primary area of contact of the projectile body with the rifling or interior surface of the barrel of the firearm. At least one additional embodiment of the projectile comprises one of the nose or tail portions, preferably the tail portion structured to contain a supplemental payload which is carried to the target upon discharge of the firearm.