PROJECTILE UTILISE SUR DES CIBLES VIVANTES SANS RISQUE LETAL POUR CES DERNIERS

PROJECTILE FOR ACTING AGAINST LIVING TARGETS WITHOUT A LETHAL RISK TO THESE TARGETS

Abrégé français

L'invention concerne un projectile (2) que l'on peut utiliser efficacement sans aucun risque létal contre des cibles vivantes comme, par exemple, des personnes violentes (8) lors de manifestations. Ledit projectile (2) présente un coussin plié et gonflable (8) dans la partie avant du projectile, une source de pression (6) destinée au gonflage du coussin (5) et un détecteur de proximité (7) pour déclencher l'opération de gonflage en fonction de la distance (8) à laquelle se trouve la cible.

Abrégé anglais

The proposal is for a bullet (2) which can be effectively used against living
targets, e.g. violent demonstrators (8), while entailing no lethal risk for
such people. Said bullet (2) has a folded, inflatable cushion (5) in the
frontal region, a pressure source (6) to inflate the cushion (5) and a
distance sensor (7) to actuate the inflation process depending on the range
(8) of the target.

Revendications

CLAIMS:
1. Projectile, particularly for portable firearms, for
acting against live targets, such as violent persons during
demonstrations, without any lethal risk, having a folded
inflatable cushion and a pressure source for inflating the
latter, wherein an arrangement of the folded inflatable cushion 5
in the forward projectile area, and a distance sensor 7 for
triggering the inflating operation as a function of the target
distance 8 which is in an operative connection with the pressure
source 6.
2. Projectile according to Claim 1, wherein a cartridged,
gas-generating charge 6 is used for inflating the cushion 5 by
means of compressed gas 10 at a predetermined target distance 8.
3. Projectile according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the target
distance 8 for triggering the inflating operation at the cushion
5 can be varied.

Continuation of Amended Page 1 of Claims
4. Projectile according to one or several of Claims 1 to 3,
wherein, during the inflating of the cushion 5, its charging
speed can be varied.
5. Projectile according to one or several of Claims 1 to 4,
wherein during the inflating of the cushion 5, its charging
pressure can be varied.
6. Projectile according to one of Claims 1 to 5,
characterized in that the inflated cushion 5 has a tear gas part
in its charge 10.

Description

. CA 02228478 1998-02-02
~. ~.
O a
EngliQh translation o~ the annexes to the International
Prel;m;n~y 3x~m;n~tion Report under PCT Article 36
(PCT/EP96/02968, filed July 5, 1996)
PROJECTILE FOR ACTI~G AGAINST ~IVING TARGETS
WITHOUT A ~ETHAL RISK TO T~ES~ TARGETS
The invention is based on a projectile o~ the type indicated
in the preamble o~ Claim 1 and known, among others, ~rom German
Utility Model Document No. 71 19 918 as well as U.S. Patent
Document No. 3 952 662.
Projectile constructions, as disclosed in the mentioned
documents, have a common charasteristic. This common
characterisstic is their signi~icant radial dimension immediately
a~ter the projectile exits ~rom the muzzle o~ the used launching
device. In order to achieve this, in the case o~ the Utility
Model Documen~, centri~ugal ~orces a~ect a de~ormable mass.
Speci~ically, a de~ormable mass in the shape o~' a bag or a sack
made o~ a ~abric which is ~illed with relatively small solid
particles is used. In the case o~ the patent, elastic expansion
arms distributed along the circum~erence o~ the projectile are
used ~or the same purpose.
The disadvantage o~ the above-described examples o~
projectiles is their aerodynamic resistance o~ the projectile is
high.
AMEN3ED PAGE

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Continuation o~ Amended Page 1:
This Resistance increases abruptly immediately a~ter the
projectile has exited the barrel muzzle. As a result their
e~ectiveness o~ the projectile is unsatls~actory when targets
are comparatively far a~ay.
The latter applies in the same manner to the projectile used
as a target object during target practice according to U.S.
Patent Document No. 3 626 854. Similarly, in this case, a~ter
the projectile exits the launching barrel, an immediate abrupt
increase o~ the aerodynamic resistance occurs. Here, this is
caused by a balloon which is ~olded up in the rearward projectile
area and which, by means o~ stored compressed gas, is
automatically ~olded out o~ the rearward end o~ the projectile
and is completely in~lated as soon as the projectile, accelerated
in the launching barrel, has passed the mouth o~ the barrel.

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la
It is there~ore an object o~ the present invention to
develop a simply constructed projectile o~ the above-mentioned
type o~ ~hich can be used against live targets in a uni~ormly
e~fective manner o~er short, medium and large distances without
the danger o~ lethally injuring the live targets.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by the
projectile characterized in claim 1. In the dependent claim,
further advantageous features of the invention are provided.
AMENDED PAGE
PCT/EP06/02968 -1- 11770 PCT

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The projectile according to the inventicn is idealwhen
taking actio. against li~re targets b__ause tr_ risk of death is
eliminated. In this case, the project~le has G particularly
large effecti~-e range. This is becaus_ there is a large-surface
transmission of an apportionable kire~ic ener~-- from the
projectile tc the respective target ~_rson ~.h--h is ensured at
any distance -ron the target. This a~-,5ntag- -s the result o~
the special interaction of simple str-~-tural components, whic~
are commerciGlly available separatel-~- (e.g., G-. inflatable
cusion, a pressure source ~or fillir3 t and 5 distance sensor).
If th_ -5-l ded cushion with the p ~-ainin czrtridge or
similar comp-essed-gas source is lau-c~ed, fo- example, from a
manual launcher (customary for signcl rockets), it is the
distance sensor which determines the distance to the respective
targeted im~Gct point The distance ~ensor G 1 SO takes
measuremens necessary for inflating the cushion at a suitable
distance to the target point.
~rior to this occurrence, the projectile, ~,here its maximum
-

CA 02228478 1998-02-02
range is controllable by the launching device, has a low
aerodynamic resistance. The inflation of the cushion increases
the aerodynamic resistance to such an extent that within a very
short tlme (ranging from 0.01 to O.ls), the speed of the
projectile will be lowered to zero. An interesting possibility
there~ore exists of influencing the kinetic energy of the
projectile by using the time difference between the unfolding o~
the cushlon, and the impacting of the in~lated cushion with the
target.
As a further embodiment o~ the invention, the rate at which
the cushion is in~lated is another adjustable parameter. Using
this rate, by way o~ the volume of the cushion, its aerodynamic
resistance and there~ore the time-related characteristic o~ the
speed o~ the projectile can be controlled. If the in~lation o~
the cushion takes place very close to the respective person,
becau~e of the pressure buildup in the cushion, an additional
impulse can be transmitted to this person.
Regarding the variance o~ the in~lating pressure according
to another characterizing ~eature, the ~ollowing i~ noted: I~
the relative pressure of the cushion is high, and is therefore
~illed very tautly, a comparatively hard impact in the target
takes place which, in addition, a~ects a relatively smaller
target sur~ace. In contrast, if the pressure is lower, such an
impact will be softer. Moreover, the impact is distributed over

CA 02228478 1998-02-02
a larger surface and, in the case of a corresponding kinetic
energy, can also transmit a considerable dwell pressure.
It should also be pointed out that the launched inflated
cushions will, during tactical police actions (e.g., against a
violent crowd) hinder the further advance of potential targets.
Deflation of the cusions by cutting them open can be counteracted
by a corresponding selection of their material and/or the
admixing of tear gas to the cushion charge.
In the following, the invention wlll be explained in detail
by means of a schematic drawing.
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the projectile according
to the invention in an application; and
Figure 2 is a diagram o~ the action of an embodiment of a
projectile according to Figure 1 with respect to the speed drop
on the path to the target and the effective range in comparison
to projectiles of a known construction.
Figure 1 illustrates a manual launcher 1, specifically
immediately after an acceleration of a projectile 2 has taken
place in the direction o~ the arrow 3 toward a person ~ standir~
at a distance.

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In the ~orward area, the projectile 2 has a folded
in~latable cushion 5. A cartridge 6 is arranged behind this
cushion which generates, ~or example, a pressurized gas ~or
in~lation o~ the cusion. The projectile 2 also has a distance
sensor 7. At a de~ined distance 8 o~ the projectile ~rom the
person 4, this distance sensor 7 triggers the in~lating
operation. As illustrated at re~erence number 9, this results in
a rapid in~lation o~ the cushion 5 by the entering compressed gas
10 .
In this context, it should be noted that launchers, like the
above-mentioned launcher, already exist, ~or example, ~or signal
rockets; cushions o~ the addressed type in conjunction with
cartridges ~or generating gas, ignition devices ~or this purpose
and charging mechanisms represent conventional components in the
case o~ occupant restraining systems ~or passenger cars; and
distance sensors o~ a similar type are o~ten used in the
case o~ conventional proJectiles.
In light o~ the ~oregoing, a projectile having the
characteristics according to the invention can be implemented and
applied in a cost-saving manner.
Figure 2 illustrates a rectangular system o~ coordinates
with the distance ~rom the launching site 11 as the abscissa 12
and the initial speed o~ the projectile as the axis o~ the

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ordinate 13; speed courses o~ a projectile with a uni~ormly
large aerodynamic resistance 14, o~ a projectile with a uni~ormly
low aerodynamic resistance 15, and o~ a projectile according to
the invention with a controllable in~lating point in time 17.
The ~ollowing is also shown:
A range 18 with an e~ect which is too low between the
abscissa 12 and a ~traight line 20 extending at a distance lg in
parallel thereto;
a range 21 o~ a non-lethal e~ect between the straight line
20 and a straight line 23 extending at a distance 22 in parallel
to the abscissa 12; and
a range 24 o~ a lethal e~ect on the other side o~ the
straight line 23.
The de~inition o~ the di~erent e~fective ranges 18, 21 and
24 is a ~unction o~ the mass, the speed and the geometry o~ the
respective projectile. The occurring speed drop is proportional
to its aerodynamic resistance. In the case o~ the projectile
according to the invention, the speed drop can be controlled ~y
the extent o~ the in~lation, while the degree o~ tautness can
in~luence the targeting e~ectiveness o~ the projectile. By
means o~ the indicated possibility o~ a combination o~ two ~light
path routes o~ di~erent speed drops and the arbitrary selection
o~ the transition point in time ~rom one ~light path route to the
next, the projectile according to the invention provides the

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prerequisites ~or a considerable increase of the e~ective range
and o~ the intensity o~ the e~ect.

Dessin représentatif