A Projectile Having a Caliber of Less Than 13 mm; and System for Tracking a Projectile

Abstract

The present invention relates to a projectile having a caliber of less than 13 mm, comprising a bullet jacket defining a cavity and a position transmitter arranged in the cavity.

Claims

1. A projectile with a caliber of less than 13 mm, comprising a projectile jacket defining a cavity and a position transmitter, such as a GPS transmitter, a telemetry transmitter or an RFID transponder, arranged in the cavity.

2. The projectile according to claim 1, wherein the position transmitter has a preferably de-energized passive state in which the position transmitter does not transmit position signals, and a preferably energized active state in which the position transmitter transmits position signals.

3. The projectile according to claim 1, wherein the position transmitter switches from the passive state to the active state immediately before or immediately after firing of the firearm, wherein in particular immediately before or immediately after firing of the firearm the position transmitter is supplied with electrical energy.

4. The projectile according to claim 1, wherein an energy source, such as an electric battery, in particular a button cell, is arranged in the cavity for supplying power to the position transmitter, wherein in particular the energy source does not electrically contact the position transmitter in the passive state and does not electrically contact the position transmitter in the active state.

5. The projectile according to claim 1, wherein the position transmitter, in particular the RFID transponder, is supplied with power by an external energy source (25), wherein in particular the position transmitter can be supplied with power by high-frequency radio waves from the outside by the external energy source.

6. The projectile according to claim 1, wherein the position transmitter and optionally the energy source is/are arranged in the projectile jacket cavity such that the position transmitter and optionally the energy source remains/remain intact after impact of the projectile with a target.

7. The projectile according to claim 1, wherein the projectile jacket has a nose-side ogive section and a tail section opposite the ogive section, wherein the position transmitter is accommodated in the cavity on the tail side and the energy source is accommodated in the cavity on the nose side.

8. The projectile according to claim 1, wherein a nose-side ogive section of the projectile jacket is configured to absorb the impact and deformation energy resulting from the impact of the projectile on a target, in particular for the most part, and/or to transfer the impact and deformation energy into a tail section opposite the ogive section in such a way that a base body of the projectile casing connecting the ogive section to the tail section remains substantially undamaged.

9. The projectile according to claim 4, wherein an electrical insulator is arranged between the position transmitter and the energy source for temporarily preventing an electrical contact, wherein in particular the electrical insulator is arranged in such a way that when the insulator is removed the position transmitter is activated, wherein in particular heat generated when the firearm is fired causes the insulator to dissolve, preferably to melt.

10. The projectile according to claim 4, wherein the position transmitter and the energy source are arranged at a distance from one another in such a way that, upon impact of the projectile on a target, the impact and deformation energy causes a nose-side deformation of the projectile jacket, in particular of the ogive section, due to which the electrical contact between the position transmitter and the energy source is established.

11. The projectile according to claim 4, wherein the position transmitter is separated from the energy source by a compartment wall, in particular made in one piece with the projectile jacket, dividing the cavity into two compartments, wherein particularly the compartment wall is configured to deform, in particular to destroy, upon impact of the projectile on a target in such a way that an electrical contact is established between the position transmitter and the energy source.

12. The projectile according to claim 4, wherein a nose-side ogive section of the projectile jacket comprises an applicator which, upon impact of the projectile on a target, presses the position transmitter in the direction of the energy source or presses the energy source in the direction of the position transmitter to establish an electrical contact, in particular with deformation, preferably destruction, of the compartment wall.

13. The projectile according to claim 4, wherein the position transmitter and/or the energy source are/is loosely arranged in the cavity in such a way that acceleration forces occurring during firing of the firearm and acting on the projectile cause the position transmitter to come into an electrical contact with the energy source, in particular cause the position transmitter and/or the energy source to move in the direction of the other to establish the electrical contact.

14. A system for tracking a projectile, comprising a projectile according to claim 1 having a caliber of less than 13 mm and a position signal receiver for receiving position signals transmitted by the position transmitter.

Description

[0028] In the following, further configurations, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent by means of the description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying exemplary drawings, in which show:

[0029] FIG. 1 a schematic sectional view of a projectile according to the invention; and

[0030] FIG. 2 a schematic sectional view of a further embodiment of a projectile according to the invention.

[0031] In the following description of exemplary embodiments, a projectile according to the invention having a caliber of less than 13 mm, preferably of about 12.7 mm, is generally indicated with the reference numeral 1.

[0032] With reference to FIG. 1, a first exemplary embodiment of the projectile 1 according to the invention is shown in a schematic sectional view. The projectile 1 has a projectile jacket 3 which essentially defines the outer shape of the projectile 1. The projectile jacket 3 extends along a longitudinal axis L of the projectile and is designed to be essentially rotationally symmetrical with respect thereto. The projectile 1 or the projectile jacket 3 is divided essentially into three sections preferably made of one piece, in particular metal: a tail section 5 on the tail side, an ogive section 7 on the nose side, and a base body 9 connecting the tail section 5 and the ogive section 7. The tail section 5 is mostly made of solid material, preferably metal, and forms at the tail end a tail surface ii oriented essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L of the projectile, from which a projectile tail jacket surface 13 being inclined with regard to the longitudinal axis of the projectile L extends in the direction of the projectile nose. The projectile rear surface 13 merges in the longitudinal direction of the projectile L into the base body 9, which has a substantially constant cross-sectional shape with a constant wall thickness. On the nose side, the base body 9 opens into the ogive section 7, which has a circumferential projectile nose jacket surface 17 being curved towards a projectile tip 15.

[0033] The projectile jacket 3 delimits in its interior a cavity 19 which extends over at least 50% of a dimension of the projectile 1 in the longitudinal direction of the projectile L, preferably at least 60% or at least 70%. According to the invention, a position transmitter 21 is accommodated in the cavity 19, which is adapted to transmit position signals so that the position of the projectile 1 can be tracked. FIG. 1 also schematically shows a position signal receiver 23 for receiving the position signals emitted by the position transmitter 21 to form a system 100 according to the invention for tracking a projectile 1. Furthermore, a power source 25, which may be a button cell for example, for supplying power to the position transmitter 21 is accommodated in the cavity 19.

[0034] Further referring to FIG. 1, an electrical insulator 27 is disposed between the position transmitter 19 and the power source 25 for temporarily preventing an electrical contact of the position transmitter 19 and the power source 25. The electrical insulator 27 prevents an electrical contact in the passive state of the position transmitter 19. To activate the position transmitter 19, the electrical insulator 27 must be removed. This can be accomplished, for example, by manually pulling the insulator 27 out of the cavity 19. For example, the projectile jacket 3 includes an opening 29 from which the insulator 27 partially protrudes to be grasped by a user to pull the insulator 27 out of the cavity 19 via the opening 29. This can ensure that the position transmitter 19 is only switched/activated to the active state at a specific time, preferably immediately prior to the firing of the firearm, which is not shown in greater detail.

[0035] Furthermore, the ogive section 5 of the projectile jacket 3 comprises an absorber 31, 32, preferably made separately from the projectile jacket, for absorbing, in particular for the most part, preferably at least 50%, 60%, 70% or at least 80%, of the impact and deformation energy resulting from the impact of the projectile 1 on the target. The absorber 31, 32 can transfer the impact and deformation energy into the tail section 7 in such a way that the base body 9 and especially the electronics arranged in the cavity 19, i.e. the position transmitter 21 and the energy source 25, remain substantially undamaged. As exemplified in FIG. 1, the absorber 31, 32 may comprise a layered structure or sandwich structure. A sequence of layers/films arranged consecutively in the longitudinal direction of the projectile L may be provided, for example a sequence of metal layers of different density and/or a different coefficient of expansion may be provided. For example, the absorber 31, 32 is realized as a sequence of an absorption layer 31 and an absorption layer 32, wherein the absorption layer 32 has a different density and/or a different coefficient of expansion compared to the absorption layer 31.

[0036] With reference to FIG. 2, a further exemplary embodiment of the projectile 1 according to the invention is described. To avoid repetition, the same components are given the same reference number and the following description is limited to the differences compared with FIG. 1. Instead of the electrical insulator 27, the position transmitter 21 and the energy source 25 are arranged at a distance from one another with respect to the longitudinal direction L of the projectile. According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the spacing is realized by a compartment wall 33 made in particular in one piece with the projectile jacket 3, which divides the cavity 19 into a tail-side compartment 35 and a nose-side compartment 37. It can be seen that the position transmitter 21 is arranged in the tail-side compartment 35 and the energy source 25 is arranged in the nose-side compartment 37. The compartment wall 33 may, for example, be formed continuously of solid material or may, for example, have a through opening 39 approximately in the center. The compartment wall 33 can be used to ensure the passive state of the position transmitter 19, in particular to prevent an electrical contact between the position transmitter 19 and the energy source 25. Upon impact of the projectile 1 with a target, the compartment wall 33 deforms in such a way that an electrical contact between the position transmitter 19 and the energy source 25 is established. For example, the impact and deformation energy transmitted from the ogive section 5 via the projectile jacket 3 into the compartment wall 33 during impact of the projectile 1 on the target can cause a deformation, in particular a destruction, of the compartment wall 33, so that an electrical contact between position transmitter 21 and the energy source 25 is established, for example, by moving the position transmitter 21 and the energy source 25 towards each other in the longitudinal direction L of the projectile.

[0037] Further referring to FIG. 2, the ogive section 5 comprises an applicator 41, which is preferably made separately from the projectile jacket 3. Upon impact of the projectile 1 on a target, the applicator 41 pushes the energy source 25 substantially in the longitudinal direction of the projectile L towards the position transmitter 21 to establish an electrical contact. This may be done while deforming, preferably destroying, the compartment wall 33.

[0038] The position signal receiver 23 may be selected depending on the position transmitter 21 used to receive, process and/or evaluate the position signals transmitted by the position transmitter 21. Furthermore, the position signal receiver 23 may have software, not shown in more detail, which may be implemented depending on the field of application of the system 100 according to the invention.

[0039] The features disclosed in the foregoing description, figures, and claims may be significant, both individually and in any combination, for the realization of the invention in the various embodiments.

REFERENCE SIGN LIST

[0040] 1 Projectile [0041] 3 Projectile jacket [0042] 5 Ogive section [0043] 7 Tail section [0044] 9 Base body [0045] 11 Rear surface [0046] 13 Projectile tail jacket surface [0047] 15 Projectile tip [0048] 17 Projectile nose jacket surface [0049] 19 Cavity [0050] 21 Position transmitter [0051] 23 Position signal receiver [0052] 25 Energy source [0053] 27 Insulator [0054] 29 Opening [0055] 31, 32 Absorber [0056] 33 Compartment wall [0057] 35, 37 Compartment [0058] 39 Passage opening [0059] 41 Applicator [0060] 100 System [0061] L Projectile longitudinal axis