Payload delivery and dispersal projectile

Abstract

A projectile is launched from a projectile launcher to disperse a projectile payload proximate to a target. The projectile is comprised of a projectile housing, a primer assembly, and a primer activator. The projectile payload and the primer assembly may be disposed within a housing channel of the projectile housing. The primer assembly is comprised of a primer charge configured to deploy the projectile payload from the projectile housing and a primer activator configured to activate the primer charge. The primer activator may activate the primer charge in response to the first end of the projectile housing contacting a target. Further, the primer charge may cause the projectile payload to be dispersed from the projectile.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A projectile for a projectile launcher, the projectile comprising:
 a projectile housing disposed between a first end of the projectile and a second end of the projectile opposite the first end, the projectile housing comprising a housing channel extending at least partially between the first end and the second end;   a projectile payload disposed within the housing channel;   a primer assembly disposed within the housing channel and comprising a primer charge, the primer charge configured to deploy the projectile payload from within the projectile housing; and   a primer activator disposed within the housing channel and configured to activate the primer charge based at least in part on the first end of the projectile contacting a target.   
     
     
         2 . The projectile of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first end comprises an impact absorber that contacts the target and disperses an impact force on the target; and   the second end receives a launch force from the projectile launcher, the launch force causing the impact absorber to contact the target and receive the impact force.   
     
     
         3 . The projectile of  claim 1 , wherein the primer assembly is configured to translate from a first position to a second position based at least in part on the first end contacting the target. 
     
     
         4 . The projectile of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a first position of the primer assembly is associated with a primer lock securing the primer assembly within the housing channel;   a second position of the primer assembly is associated with the primer charge being activated; and   the primer lock is associated with a release threshold that enables the primer assembly to translate from the first position to the second position.   
     
     
         5 . The projectile of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the release threshold is satisfied by a decelerating force generated by the first end contacting the target; and   the primer assembly translates from the first position to the second position based at least in part on the projectile housing being substantially arrested by contact between the first end and the target.   
     
     
         6 . The projectile of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the primer lock is configured as a securing ring disposed radially outside the primer assembly; and   the securing ring deforms, based at least in part on the release threshold being satisfied, to permit translation of the primer assembly along a central axis of the projectile and within the securing ring.   
     
     
         7 . The projectile of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the primer assembly comprises the primer activator; and   the primer assembly translates from a first position to a second position such that the primer activator activates the primer charge in the second position.   
     
     
         8 . The projectile of  claim 7 , wherein:
 translation of the primer assembly from the first position to the second position causes the primer activator to collide with an activation pin to ignite an amount of pyrotechnic material of the primer charge; and   activation of the primer charge ruptures at least a portion of the projectile housing to deploy the projectile payload.   
     
     
         9 . The projectile of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first portion that comprises the first end, wherein the first portion is a projectile base that receives a launch force and applies the launch force to at least the projectile housing;   a second portion that comprises the projectile payload, the second portion containing the projectile payload at a first time and permitting the projectile payload to be dispersed at a second time;   a third portion that comprises the primer assembly, the third portion containing primer assembly at a first position at the first time and at a second position at the second time; and   a fourth portion that comprises the second end, the fourth portion comprising an impact absorber that causes the primer assembly to translate within the third portion from the first position to the second position.   
     
     
         10 . The projectile of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first portion is disposed at the first end;   the second portion is disposed substantially adjacent to the first portion;   the third portion is disposed substantially adjacent to the second portion opposite the first portion; and   the fourth portion is disposed substantially adjacent to the third portion opposite the second portion.   
     
     
         11 . The projectile of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first portion is disposed at the first end;   the third portion is disposed substantially adjacent to the first portion;   the second portion is disposed substantially adjacent to the third portion opposite the first portion; and   the fourth portion is disposed substantially adjacent to the second portion opposite the third portion.   
     
     
         12 . The projectile of  claim 1 , wherein the projectile housing comprises one or more faults that enable the primer assembly to disperse the projectile payload from within the projectile housing by rupturing the projectile housing at the one or more faults. 
     
     
         13 . A primer portion of a projectile, the primer portion comprising:
 a primer charge associated with a rest state and an active state, the active state causing the primer charge to rupture the projectile and deploy a payload from within the projectile;   a primer activator configured to utilize an amount of kinetic energy to transition the primer charge from the rest state to the active state;   a primer wall configured to translate between a first position and a second position; and   a primer lock disposed between the primer wall and a projectile housing, the primer lock configured to selectively couple the primer wall to the projectile housing in the first position and decouple the primer wall from the projectile housing to permit translation from the first position to the second position, wherein:
 the primer charge is secured substantially adjacent to primer activator by the primer wall; and 
 the first position is associated with the rest state and the second position is associated with the active state. 
   
     
     
         14 . The primer portion of  claim 13 , wherein the primer lock secures the primer wall and the primer charge in the first position at a first time and permits the primer wall to translate past the primer lock to the second position at a second time based at least on the projectile impacting a target. 
     
     
         15 . The primer portion of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the amount of kinetic energy is associated with at least the primer activator during a projectile flight; and   the amount of kinetic energy is applied to the primer charge by the primer activator based at least in part on the projectile impacting a target, application of the amount of kinetic energy causing the primer charge to transition from the rest state to the active state.   
     
     
         16 . The primer portion of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the primer wall comprises a lock stop that, at a first time, substantially prevents translation past the primer lock from the first position to the second position; and   the lock stop, at a second time after the first time and based at least in part on receiving the amount of kinetic energy, causes the primer lock to permit translation of the primer wall from the first position to the second position.   
     
     
         17 . The primer portion of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the primer charge, based at least in part on entering the active state, ruptures the projectile housing; and   the primer charge, based at least in part on the projectile housing being ruptured, disperses the payload from within the projectile housing.   
     
     
         18 . A method performed by a projectile, the method comprising:
 receiving a launch force from a propulsion module of a projectile launcher;   traversing, at a flight velocity, towards a target of the projectile launcher;   contacting the target with an impact absorber of the projectile, wherein the impact absorber substantially arrests a projectile housing of the projectile;   causing, based at least in part on the impact absorber arresting the projectile housing, a primer assembly of the projectile to translate from a first position to a second position, wherein translation from the first position to the second position activates the primer assembly; and   causing, based at least in part on activation of the primer assembly, a projectile payload of the projectile to be dispersed proximate to the target.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein causing the primer assembly to translate from the first position to a second position further comprises:
 causing the primer assembly in the second position to contact an activation pin of the projectile; and   causing, based at least in part on the primer assembly contacting the activation pin, the primer assembly to apply a dispersal force to the projectile payload.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the dispersal force is applied to at least one of:
 the projectile housing to deploy the projectile payload by rupturing the projectile housing;   one or more faults of the projectile housing to create one or more openings for deploying the projectile payload; or   an internal stopper of the projectile to cause the internal stopper to be decoupled from the projectile housing and deploy the projectile payload.