U.S. patent application number 12/238736 was filed with the patent office on 2009-01-29 for variable range ammunition cartridge for electrical discharge weapon.
This patent application is currently assigned to Defense Technology Corporation of America. Invention is credited to John A. Hultman, John Kapeles.
Application Number | 20090025597 12/238736 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37081783 |
Filed Date | 2009-01-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090025597 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kapeles; John ; et
al. |
January 29, 2009 |
VARIABLE RANGE AMMUNITION CARTRIDGE FOR ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE
WEAPON
Abstract
An ammunition cartridge for an electrical discharge weapon
having at least one dart positioned within a dart chamber in the
housing. The cartridge has at least one adjustable barrel for
selection between close and extended ranges and a joint and port
for adjusting pressure in the barrel. In another form the cartridge
has two fixed barrels and a retractable deflection ramp for
selection between close and extended ranges.
Inventors: |
Kapeles; John; (Casper,
WY) ; Hultman; John A.; (Casper, WY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHRISTIE, PARKER & HALE, LLP
PO BOX 7068
PASADENA
CA
91109-7068
US
|
Assignee: |
Defense Technology Corporation of
America
|
Family ID: |
37081783 |
Appl. No.: |
12/238736 |
Filed: |
September 26, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11103711 |
Apr 11, 2005 |
7444940 |
|
|
12238736 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
102/464 ;
102/502; 102/504 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41H 13/0025 20130101;
F41H 13/0031 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
102/464 ;
102/502; 102/504 |
International
Class: |
F42B 5/00 20060101
F42B005/00; F42B 12/68 20060101 F42B012/68 |
Claims
1. An ammunition cartridge for an electrical discharge weapon
comprising: a housing having an exterior surface and at least one
dart chamber located within the housing; a dart positioned in the
dart chamber; a propellant for launching the dart; and means for
adjusting a dart firing angle of the dart chamber between a long
range and short range position.
2. The ammunition cartridge of claim 1 wherein the means for
adjusting the dart firing angle is a deflection ramp positioned on
the housing at a location where the dart first exits the dart
chamber.
3. The ammunition cartridge of claim 1 wherein there are two dart
chambers in the housing each containing a dart and a deflection
ramp is adjacent each dart chamber.
4. The ammunition cartridge of claim 1 wherein the deflection ramp
is moveable between the short range and the long range
positions.
5. The ammunition cartridge of claim 1 wherein the deflection ramp
includes a switch for moving the ramp between the short range and
long range positions.
6. The ammunition cartridge of claim 1 wherein the means for
adjusting the dart firing angle is one of a shroud, tube, tang,
flange or cowl adjacent the dart chamber.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser.
No. 11/103,711, filed Apr. 11, 2005, the disclosure of which is
hereby incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of
electrical immobilization weapons of the type which impart an
electrical impulse to immobilize a human target by inducing
involuntary muscular contractions, and more particularly, to an
improved ammunition cartridge for the electrical discharge weapon
which provides for a replaceable cartridge designed to expand the
operational limits of the weapon by having an adjustable barrel
pressure or geometry or an adjustable dart firing angle.
[0003] Electrical discharge weapons, commonly sold under the
trademark TASER, are weapons that connect a human target to a
remote electrical power supply by means of a pair of darts and
trailing conductors, so that the human target can be disabled by an
electrical shock from the weapon. The typical power supply of an
electrical discharge weapon produces low amperage shocks of 50 KV.
Human beings can be disabled by shocks of much lower voltage,
however, the higher voltage is needed to ionize air paths, so
electrical currents can penetrate otherwise insulated garments worn
by the human target to complete the shocking circuit through the
body. 50 KV from a typical electrical discharge weapon will arc
across an air gap of approximately two inches.
[0004] Typical ammunition cartridges for electrical discharge
weapons launch their darts by the force of explosion of a chemical
propellant (primer fired), or by force resulting from the release
of compressed gas or spring tension. Previous primer fired
ammunition cartridges are substantially rectangular in shape, and
formed of a high impact plastic housing and include wire chambers
positioned adjacent interior walls of the housing. The chambers
open at an exit surface and are positioned at an angle with respect
to each other within the cartridge housing.
[0005] When the power supply for the weapon is energized,
electrical current travels from a power supply electrode to the
primer and sparks through the propellant where it arcs therefrom to
the conductor in the wire chamber. The current then travels through
the conductor to the attached dart assembly and arcs therefrom
across the exit surface to the second dart assembly. The current
continues to travel through its attached conductor to an opposed
electrode of the power supply, or vice versa, depending on the
polarity of the supply transformer poles. The propellant contained
in the primer detonates and launches the darts from the cartridge.
The darts separate from each other in angled flight, and open the
detonation circuit as its current can no longer complete an arc
path between the darts. If the darts come within arcing distance of
a human target, the shocking circuit will complete through and
disable the target.
[0006] A problem with currently available ammunition cartridges is
that because barrel geometries and the angle between barrels is
fixed, the effectiveness between near and extended ranges is
limited. For maximum effectiveness, a dart spread at the target of
5-18 inches must be maintained. This is a problem with existing
ammunition cartridges because achieving optimal dart separation at
closer ranges results in too much separation at longer ranges
causing one of the darts to miss the target completely.
Consequently a need exists for an improved ammunition cartridge
which expands the operational limits of an electrical discharge
weapon and maximizes its effectiveness through adjusting dart
spread.
SUMMARY
[0007] The present invention is directed to an improved ammunition
cartridge for an electrical discharge weapon which expands the
operational limits of current weapons and increases the
effectiveness of the weapon at close and extended ranges. In a
first embodiment the ammunition cartridge of the present invention
is a variable range replacement cartridge incorporating one fixed
geometry barrel and one adjustable geometry barrel. The adjustable
barrel allows the user of the weapon to select between close and
extended engagement ranges. The geometry of the adjustable barrel
is controlled by a mechanism incorporated into the cartridge
housing. The adjustable barrel is captured in the interior of the
cartridge housing and, for example, is spring loaded to allow
toggling between close and extended ranges. The barrel is sealed
within the housing of the cartridge by a joint running
perpendicular to the barrel centerline. When in the extended range
setting, the adjustable barrel's porting is maximized and matched
to the fixed barrel. When switched to close range the sealing joint
is designed to induce turbulence, effectively decreasing barrel
pressures and porting is incorporated in the sealing joint or
housing to bleed pressure from the barrels or area ahead of the
primer when the barrel is toggled to a specified position. This
embodiment insures that optimum dart penetration is maintained.
[0008] In a second embodiment the ammunition cartridge allows the
user to adjust the spread of the darts fired from the weapon to
increase the effectiveness of the weapon at near, 1 to 15 feet, and
extended, 15 to 30 feet, ranges. In this embodiment the ammunition
cartridge includes the ability of adjusting the dart firing angle
for short range or long range to allow an optimum dart spread at
the target. The ammunition cartridge utilizes two fixed geometry
barrels which diverge from each other by some specified angle.
Canting of the ammunition cartridge within the weapon results in
the top barrel having an orientation with a horizontal aim point,
and the lower barrel is angled downward, causing the divergence of
the darts as they are launched at the target. The ammunition
cartridge adjusts the divergence of the darts by including a
deflection ramp at a location where the dart first leaves the
barrel.
[0009] The deflection ramp is positioned on the housing and is
moved into place by means of a slider, shroud or other mechanism
that can be actuated by hand while cartridge is in place in the
weapon or outside the weapon. The deflection ramp makes a smooth
transition from the launch angle of the barrel to the shallower or
launch angle of the ramp. When the deflection ramp is retracted,
the darts exit and travel along the centerline of the barrel,
creating a divergence angle according to the angle between the two
cartridge barrels. With the deflection ramp in the forward
position, the effective exit angle of at least one of the darts is
reduced, creating a shallower divergence angle, and less dart
separation at longer ranges.
[0010] These and other aspects of the present invention will be
more fully understood with reference to the following detailed
description and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ammunition cartridge of
the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a front view of the cartridge of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the cartridge of FIG. 1; and
[0014] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge of FIG.
1;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge of FIG. 1
incorporating an adjustable geometry barrel; and
[0016] FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views of the cartridge
of FIG. 1 incorporating a deflection ramp.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, an ammunition cartridge 10
of the present invention is illustrated. The cartridge has a
housing 12 formed of high impact plastic having a forward section
14, and a rear section 16. Rear section 16 is received within a
cavity or receiver port 18 of an electrical discharge weapon 20.
Flexible flanges 22 extend along each side of the housing, and
include a boss 24 to flex the flange during insertion and removal
of the cartridge from the cavity 18. The flange includes a raised
stop 25 for receipt into a recess 27 in port 18 to retain the
cartridge in the weapon. Dart 26 and wire assemblies 28 are
positioned within dart chambers 30 and 32 contained within the
housing 12. Dart chambers 30 and 32 extend into the housing at an
angle so that the darts when propelled from the housing separate
from one another in flight. Darts 26 each include a barbed hook 34
or other means of securing to the target such as adhesive or spiked
spheres for example The wire assemblies 28 include a span of
insulated conductor which is wound 36 and positioned within wire
storage chambers 35 and 37 adjacent the dart chambers. Wads 39 are
positioned behind the darts in the dart chambers.
[0018] A first wire assembly 38 extends out of the front of dart
chamber 30 through the wire storage chamber in the housing towards
the rear of the housing, and terminates in an uninsulated end 40,
adjacent the primer case 42. A second wire assembly 44 exits the
front of dart chamber 32 and extends rearwardly through the wire
storage chamber in the housing and terminates in an uninsulated end
46 at a metal rivet or contact 48 located on a surface 50 of the
housing. Although the cartridge is illustrated as utilizing wire
tethered darts, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts
herein are equally applicable to ammunition cartridges utilizing
non-wire tethered darts.
[0019] A conductive contact probe 52 extends through the housing
along an upper surface 54 of first portion 14 of the housing. The
contact probe terminates adjacent an opening 56 on the front
surface 57 of the housing so that the contact probe is slightly
recessed. The contact probe runs along the top surface 58 of the
rear section 16 of the housing in a slot 60 before extending
downwardly along the rear surface of the housing and terminates
adjacent the rifle primer 62. A lower conductive contact probe 64
extends through the housing along the first portion 14, adjacent a
lower surface 66, and terminates adjacent opening 68 along the
front surface 57 of the housing, so that it is also slightly
recessed. The opposite end of probe 64 terminates adjacent contact
48. Conductive probes 52 and 64 provide a power source so that the
cartridge can deliver an electrical shock to a human target if the
darts do not subdue the target and the cartridge is held against
the target.
[0020] A front plate 68 is positioned over the front of the housing
and a rear plate 70 covers the rear surface of the housing. Located
between the primer 62 and the dart chambers is backing 72 and a pin
74. When the ammunition cartridge 10 is inserted into recess 18 of
the electrical discharge device 20, the conductive contact probe 52
contacts electrode 75 in the electric discharge device 20. Contact
48 contacts the electrically opposed electrode 78 in the electrical
discharge device. When the power supply is energized in the weapon,
current travels from power supply electrode 75 through the contact
probe 52 to primer 62, thereby sparking through the propellant
contained in the primer to pin 74. The current then arcs therefrom
to the first wire assembly 36 located in dart chamber 30 and
travels through the wire assembly to the attached dart. The current
arcs therefrom across the exit surface to the second dart assembly
and travels through its attached wire assembly 36 until contact 48
and opposed electrode 78 of the power supply or vice versa
depending upon the polarity of the supply transformer poles. The
propellant contained in the primer detonates and launches the darts
from the cartridge. The darts separate from each other in angled
flight and open the detonation circuit as its current can no longer
complete an arc path between the darts. Once the darts come within
arcing distance of a human target, the shocking circuit will
complete through and disable the target. Although the ammunition
cartridge is illustrated as a primer fired cartridge, it is to be
understood that other means of propelling the darts are
contemplated, such as by compressed air or gas or by mechanical
mechanisms such as springs.
[0021] The rear plate 70 is solid and is adhered to the housing by
high dielectric adhesives. Such adhesives can be epoxy or ABS
cement having a dielectric strength of 500 to 800 volts per mil,
and the rear plate has an inside surface having ridges 71 or other
areas of relief or bends to increase the arc track path. Rear plate
70 includes a raised plug 76 halved by a vertical wire slot not
shown to seat over and secure the primer 62, which is recessed into
the housing to increase the arc track path and limit blowback.
[0022] An aperture or depression 80 may be placed into or through
flange 22 which will cause the flange to bow when the resultant
forces cause the stop 25 to collide with wall 82 in recess 27. The
resultant bowing of the flange will absorb some of the force. As
the aperture deforms, it will cause the sides of the flange to
collide with corresponding sides of wall 82, thereby stopping
forward progress of the stop towards wall 82. In addition, as the
aperture bows, the energy is restored as a spring force, and when
released will help to reset the flange within the recess 18 of the
electrical discharge weapon. A post 84 may extend outwardly from
wall 82 for receipt within the aperture 80 to further retain the
cartridge within recess 18.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 5, an ammunition cartridge 100 is
illustrated, which essentially is the ammunition cartridge 10 of
the prior figures modified to incorporate means for producing a
variable range ammunition cartridge. Cartridge 100 incorporates one
fixed dart chamber or barrel 102 and one adjustable geometry barrel
104. Alternatively, both barrels can have adjustable geometry. The
adjustable barrel 104 provides for selection between close and
extended engagement ranges for darts 106 and 108. The geometry of
the adjustable barrel 104 is controlled by a mechanism such as a
switch 110 and plunger 112. Other mechanisms can also be utilized
to adjust the geometry such as a spring and plunger system, ramp
and index wheel or a toggle switch. The adjustable barrel 104 is
captured within the housing 114 of the cartridge and is biased by,
for example, a spring, band or tensioner 116 to allow toggling
between close and extended ranges. Adjustable barrel 104 is sealed
to the inner housing 114 by a joint 118 which extends perpendicular
to the barrel centerline 120. Joint 118 can be cylindrical,
spherical or other types of joints such as ball, hinge, bellow or
sleeve joints.
[0024] When the adjustable barrel is positioned in the extended
range setting by the switch and plunger, the adjustable barrel's
porting 121, such as by a manifold, is maximized and matched to
that of the fixed barrel 102. When the switch and plunger system is
moved so that the adjustable barrel is in the close range setting,
the sealing joint 118 is designed to induce turbulence, effectively
decreasing barrel pressures. The barrel is moved between ranges by
plunger 112 sliding along surface 122, also shown in phantom for
the close range position. In the extended range setting, there is
little variance in the air path between the barrels, whereas in the
close range setting the back pressure path of the mating surfaces
of the sealing joint does not align and therefore creates
turbulence in the barrel. In this manner, optimum dart penetration
is maintained by separation of the darts as necessary for both the
extended and close range applications.
[0025] Referring now to FIGS. 6A and 6B ammunition cartridge 130 is
illustrated which essentially is similar to ammunition cartridge 10
of FIGS. 1-4 and modified to incorporate a deflection ramp 132.
Cartridge 130 includes two fixed geometry dart chambers or barrels
134 and 136 which diverge from each other at a preset angle. The
canting of the cartridge 130 in receiver port 18 of the electrical
weapon 20 (see FIG. 1) results in barrel 134 having a substantially
horizontal aim point 138 and barrel 132 having an angled downwardly
aim point 140. Aim point 140 causes the divergence of the darts as
they are launched down range.
[0026] The divergence of the darts is adjusted by the deflection
ramp 132 shown in FIG. 6A in its retracted position and in FIG. 6B
in its extended position. Deflection ramp 132 includes a switch 142
or other similar mechanism for manually toggling the deflection
ramp between its extended and retracted positions. The deflection
ramp in its extended position is positioned within the housing 144
of the cartridge such that it is adjacent an exit point of one of
the dart barrels where the dart first leaves the dart chamber. The
deflection ramp makes a smooth transition from the launch angle of
the dart in the retracted position to a shallower launch angle when
in the extended position. Although only one deflection ramp is
shown in the figures, it is to be understood that a deflection ramp
could be utilized for both dart chambers. Although the deflection
ramp is illustrated as a ramp, other structures could also be
utilized, such as a tube, tang, flange or cowl. Switch 142 could be
any other alternative means such as a slider, shroud or other
mechanism which could be actuated by hand while the cartridge is
positioned within the weapon or outside of the weapon.
[0027] When the deflection ramp is in its retracted position the
darts exit and travel along the centerline of the dart chambers
creating a divergence angle according to the angle between the two
dart chambers. With the deflection ramp in the forward position the
effective exit angle of one of the dart chambers is reduced,
creating a shallower divergence angle and less dart separation at
longer ranges. In use, for close range, the deflection ramp would
be in its retracted position, and placed in its extended position
for long range applications. Close ranges typically are
approximately 1 to 15 feet and long ranges are approximately 15 to
30 feet. The deflection ramp therefore achieves an effective dart
spread of 5 to 18 inches for both near and distant
applications.
[0028] The present invention has been described and illustrated
with respect to two embodiments thereof, however, it is to be
understood that the invention is not to be so limited, since
changes and modifications can be made therein without departing
from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
* * * * *