US-12624915-B2 - Suppression device with purposely induced porosity for firearm

Abstract

A suppression device includes a body including an outermost external surface of the suppression device, a first end, and a second end; a core configured to be inserted into the body and including a baffle; and a bore extending completely through and along a longitudinal axis of the suppression device, wherein porosity is a fraction of a volume of pores per volume of mass in a material of the suppression device, a structure of the pores is not random, and the porosity of a portion of the core including the baffle is different than the porosity of a portion of the body.

Inventors

• Richard Ryder Washburn, III
• Michael BERKEYPILE

Assignees

• CENTRE FIREARMS CO., INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20231031

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A suppression device comprising: a body including an outermost external surface of the suppression device, a first end, and a second end; a core configured to be inserted into the body and including a baffle; and a bore extending completely through and along a longitudinal axis of the suppression device, wherein porosity is a fraction of a volume of pores per volume of mass in a material of the suppression device, a structure of the pores is not random, and the porosity of a portion of the core including the baffle is greater than the porosity of a portion of the body.
2. 2 . The suppression device of claim 1 , further comprising: a first end cap at the first end of the body; and a second end cap at the second end of the body.
3. 3 . The suppression device of claim 2 , wherein the porosity of the first end cap and the second end cap is less than a porosity of a portion of the core.
4. 4 . The suppression device of claim 1 , wherein the first end includes an attachment structure and a blast baffle.
5. 5 . The suppression device of claim 4 , wherein the porosity of the attachment structure and the blast baffle are the same.
6. 6 . The suppression device of claim 2 , wherein the porosity of a portion of the second end cap is greater than a porosity a portion of the core.
7. 7 . The suppression device of claim 1 , wherein the porosity of the first end and the porosity of the second end are less than the porosity of the body between the first end and the second end.
8. 8 . The suppression device of claim 1 , wherein the porosity of the body is varied along the longitudinal axis of the suppression device.
9. 9 . The suppression device of claim 1 , wherein the baffle is a plurality of baffles, and the porosity of each of the plurality of baffles is substantially similar as that of a portion of the body in which the baffle is correspondingly located.
10. 10 . The suppression device of claim 9 , wherein the porosity of the each of the plurality of baffles and portions of the body are different from each other.
11. 11 . The suppression device of claim 1 , wherein the porosity of an outer portion of the core is greater than the porosity of an inner portion of the core along a radial direction closer to the bore.
12. 12 . The suppression device of claim 1 , wherein the porosity of the suppression device varies in a radial direction between the bore and the outermost external surface.
13. 13 . The suppression device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of holes within the core to permit a gas to move between the core and the body.
14. 14 . The suppression device of claim 1 , wherein the porosity is changed by changing a number of pores per volume of mass in the material of the noise suppression device.
15. 15 . The suppression device of claim 1 , wherein the porosity of an inner portion of the core closer to the bore is different than the porosity of an outer portion of the core that is between the inner portion of the core and the body.
16. 16 . A firearm comprising the suppression device according to claim 1 .
17. 17 . The suppression device of claim 1 , wherein the core includes a plurality of concentric portions about the bore, and each of the plurality of concentric portions has a different porosity than an adjacent portion.
18. 18 . The suppression device of claim 1 , wherein the suppression device is made of a metal or a metal alloy.
19. 19 . The suppression device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the suppression device is a three-dimensional-printed structure.
20. 20 . A suppression device comprising: a body including an outermost external surface of the suppression device, a first end, and a second end; a core configured to be inserted into the body and including a baffle; and a bore extending completely through and along a longitudinal axis of the suppression device, wherein porosity is a fraction of a volume of pores per volume of mass in a material of the suppression device, a structure of the pores is not random, and the porosity of a portion of the core including the baffle is different than the porosity of a portion of the body, wherein the porosity of the body is varied along the longitudinal axis of the suppression device.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part and claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/561,196 filed Sep. 5, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,092,399; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/923,131 filed Jul. 8, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,435,155; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/929,493 filed Sep. 2, 2022, which are all hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. FIELD The present invention relates to noise suppression devices, and more particularly, noise suppression devices that are used with firearms. BACKGROUND Noise associated with the use of a firearm is, in general, attributed to two factors. The first factor is associated with the velocity of the bullet. If the bullet is traveling hypersonically (i.e., faster than the speed of sound), the bullet will pass through the slower moving sound wave preceding it, thus creating a relatively small sonic boom, similar to the sonic boom of a supersonic aircraft passing through its sound wave. The second factor is associated with the rapid expansion of propellant gas produced when the powder inside the bullet cartridge ignites. When the propellant gas rapidly expands and collides with cooler air, in and around the muzzle of the firearm, a loud bang sound occurs. Firearm noise suppression devices (hereafter “noise suppression devices”) are employed to reduce noise attributable to the second factor identified above. Noise suppression devices have been in use at least since the late nineteenth century. FIG. 1 is a section view of a contemporary noise suppression device 100. As illustrated, noise suppression device 100 includes an inner structure or core 105 and an outer structure 110. Typically, the core 105 and the outer structure 110 are manufactured independent of each other. Subsequently, the core 105 is inserted in and secured to the outer structure 110. Securing the inner structure 105 to the outer structure 110 may be achieved by welding (e.g., spot welding) the former to the latter. Together, the core 105 and outer structure 110 are often referred to as a “can.” The core 105, in turn, comprises a plurality of linearly arranged segments that together form a plurality of compartments 105a through 105f, wherein adjacent compartments are separated by a corresponding baffle 115a through 115e. It is very common to manufacture each segment separately and then attach the segments together, e.g., by welding the segments, to form the aforementioned linear arrangement, as suggested by the weld joints or seams that appear between each of the segments in FIG. 1 (see e.g., seams 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d and 120e). Although it may be common to manufacture each of the aforementioned segments separately and then subsequently attach them together, it is also known to manufacture the segments as a single, integral unit. Such a unit is referred to as a monolithic core. The monolithic core is then inserted in and secured to the outer structure 110, as previously described. Additionally, the distal end of the core 105 comprises an end cap segment 125, while the proximal end of the core 105 comprises a base cap segment 130. As illustrated, there is an opening formed through each of the baffles 115a through 115e, the end cap structure 125 and the base cap structure 130, along a longitudinal centerline Y, which defines the path through the noise suppression device 100 traveled by each fired bullet. Although it is not shown in FIG. 1, the proximal end of the noise suppression device 100 would comprise an attachment structure. The attachment structure would be configured to attach the noise suppression device 100 to a complimentary structure associated with the muzzle of the firearm. As mentioned above, noise suppression devices reduce the noise associated with the rapid expansion of propellant gas when the powder inside the bullet cartridge ignites and the propellant gas subsequently collides with cooler air in and around the muzzle of the firearm. In general, noise suppression devices reduce the noise by slowing the propellant gas, thus allowing the propellant gas to expand more gradually and cool before it collides with the air in and around the muzzle of the firearm. Flash hiders or flash suppressors for firearms rely on the same principles of slowing, cooling, and disrupting the propellant gas to reduce flash at the muzzle. Thus, noise suppression devices would inherently suppress flash. Together, noise and flash suppression device can be generally categorized as signature suppression devices that reduce the noise and flash associated with firing a firearm. The signature or impact of a particular firearm or person firing that firearm can be reduced or made more covert. Thus, with respect to the noise suppression device 100 in FIG. 1, the bullet will first pass from the muzzle of the firearm into the first expansion chamber 135. It should be noted that this first chamber is often called a bl