Controlled terminal kinetic energy projectile

• US 6,722,283 B1
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Secretary of the Army
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Dindl, Frank J., Johnson, Curtis D., Frey, Piotr
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SEMUNEGUS, LULIT
• Application Number:
  US10/249,794
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 102/489, 102/502, 102/517, 102/501, 102/513, 102/529, 102/367, 102/370
• US Class Current: 102/489
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/50 by dispersion
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/145 for dispensing gases, vapours, powders, particles or chemically-reactive substances from projectiles F42B12/46

Abstract

A non-lethal projectile includes a projectile body; a fuze disposed in a rear of the projectile body; an expelling charge disposed adjacent the fuze; a wad disposed adjacent the expelling charge; a dense powder ballast disposed adjacent the wad; a non-lethal payload disposed adjacent the dense powder ballast; and an end cap disposed on a front end of the projectile body; wherein the expelling charge expels the dense powder ballast and non-lethal payload and reduces the forward kinetic energy of the projectile body and the fuze to one of a near non-lethal or non-lethal level such that as the projectile body and the fuze travel from a burst point to a target impact a residual kinetic energy of the projectile body and the fuze is non-lethal.

Claims

1. A non-lethal projectile, comprising:

a projectile body;

a fuze disposed in a rear of the projectile body;

an expelling charge disposed adjacent the fuze;

a wad disposed adjacent the expelling charge;

a dense powder ballast disposed adjacent the wad;

a non-lethal payload disposed adjacent the dense powder ballast; and

an end cap disposed on a front end of the projectile body;

wherein the expelling charge expels the dense powder ballast and non-lethal payload and reduces the forward kinetic energy of the projectile body and the fuze to one of a near non-lethal or non-lethal level such that as the projectile body and the fuze travel from a burst point to a target impact a residual kinetic energy of the projectile body and the fuze is non-lethal.

2. The non-lethal projectile of claim 1 wherein the projectile body comprises a metal.

3. The non-lethal projectile of claim 2 wherein the metal comprises one of aluminum and steel.

4. The non-lethal projectile of claim 1 wherein the end cap comprises plastic.

5. The non-lethal projectile of claim 1 wherein the expelling charge comprises a nitrocellulose propellant.

6. The non-lethal projectile of claim 1 wherein the dense powder ballast comprises at least one of tungsten, iron, lead and sand.

7. The non-lethal projectile of claim 6 wherein a density of the dense powder ballast is about 10 grams per cubic centimeter.

8. The non-lethal projectile of claim 1 wherein the non-lethal payload comprises at least one of a liquid, solid, powder and aerosol.