Weapon Barrel Cluster with Control Cam for Independent Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Small caliber weapons with multiple barrels face issues with wear and tear due to high shot loads and temperature buildup during continuous fire, necessitating frequent barrel changes to maintain operational reliability and extend service life.
Innovation Solution
A barrel bundle system with a control cam and adjustable holder allows for independent barrel replacement, either manually or automatically, based on shot count or temperature, ensuring that no barrel is aligned with the breech during transport, and incorporating sliding rollers and a resilient bearing for easy rotation and thermal management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If multiple barrels are used in a Gatling gun configuration with rotation and automatic reloading, then the firing load on individual barrels is minimized and service life is extended, but the device complexity and structural requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The weapon system is segmented into independent barrel units that can be individually replaced. Instead of a complex rotating multi-barrel system, the invention uses a modular barrel holder where single barrels or barrel clusters can be independently exchanged, reducing the complexity of the overall mechanism while maintaining the benefit of barrel rotation and load distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrel holder is designed to be rotatable, allowing dynamic repositioning of barrels. This enables the system to transition between different operational states (firing position, transport position, barrel replacement) without requiring complex automatic reloading mechanisms, thus reducing device complexity while extending barrel service life through load distribution.
2Reliability
If barrels are rotated and replaced independently of firing using a controllable barrel holder, then operational reliability is improved and service life is extended, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The barrel holder is pre-configured with multiple barrel positions and a control cam mechanism that guides the replacement process. This preliminary arrangement of components allows for smooth, controlled barrel transitions without requiring complex real-time control systems during operation, thereby improving reliability while managing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A control cam acts as an intermediary element between the operator and the barrel replacement mechanism. The cam guides the replacement process through predetermined motion paths, simplifying the interaction required for barrel changes and improving operational reliability without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the weapon is moved into a secure position with no barrel obstructing the breech during transport, then safety is improved, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The control cam features curved, continuously varying profiles that guide the barrel holder through smooth arced motions between firing and transport positions. This curved guidance eliminates sharp angles and abrupt movements, making the operation easier while ensuring the barrel is reliably positioned away from the breech during transport for safety.
4Ease of operation
If sliding rollers and resilient bearings are incorporated for easy barrel rotation, then ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Resilient bearings and sliding rollers are applied locally at specific high-friction points in the barrel rotation mechanism rather than throughout the entire system. This targeted application reduces friction where needed while avoiding unnecessary components elsewhere, improving ease of operation with minimal increase in overall device complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1~1a
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention proposes a weapon (100) having a barrel cluster (1), comprising at least one, preferably multiple, weapon barrel(s) (2, 3, 4) and comprising a bolt (50), wherein only one of the weapon barrels (2) is oriented in alignment with the single bolt (50) and interacts therewith for the purposes of firing. The barrel cluster (1) has a front, muzzle-side barrel holder (5) and has a rear, bolt-side barrel holder (6), and has, in a partial region (7), a control body (8) with a control cam (9) which is incorporated on the circumference. By way of said control cam (9), the barrel cluster (1) can be adjusted as a whole and independently of the firing of the weapon (100). The control body (8) is preferably electronically rotated, for which purpose a pin (11) of the actuator (10) engages into the control cam (9) of the control body (8).