Illuminants and illumination devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10900758-B2
Application number	US-201916558306-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2019
Priority date	Dec 1, 2016
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

A self-glowing solid material comprises a man-made metal mixture containing at least one rare earth metal and an oxide of iron. The material is inducible by flame initiation to self-glow with yellow-to-red colors (577-to-700 nanometer wavelengths). A stealth tracer ammunition comprises a projectile body having a tip and a base, and a solid pellet disposed in the base. The pellet may be made from the above-mentioned self-glowing solid material or another suitable material. The pellet becomes incandescent as a result of being heated when the ammunition is fired. The incandescent pellet emits a glow observable only from behind when the ammunition travels downrange after being fired. An illuminant comprises a bimodal blend of a man-made metal mixture containing at least one rare earth metal and an oxide of iron. The bimodal blend is a blend of smaller-sized fragments and larger-sized pellets. The illuminant is capable of ignition and dispersion in response to ballistic energy to create illumination. An illumination device comprises a body having an interior cavity, the body configured to be launched as a projectile or configured to contain projectiles. An illuminant is disposed in the cavity, the illuminant comprising a bimodal blend of a suitable illuminant material. The illuminant is capable of ignition and dispersion in response to ballistic energy to create illumination.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An illumination device comprising:
a body having an interior cavity, the body configured to be launched as a projectile or configured to contain projectiles; and
an illuminant disposed in the cavity, the illuminant comprising a bimodal blend of an illuminant material comprising a first mode of a one size and a second mode of a smaller size;
the illuminant being capable of ignition in response to ballistic energy to create illumination.

2. The illumination device of claim 1 wherein the illumination comprises streamers and/or a flash at impact because the smaller size illuminant material scatters farther from the point of impact.

3. The illumination device of claim 1 wherein the ballistic energy is applied to the illuminant during launch and/or upon impact.

4. The illumination device of claim 1 wherein the body is a shotgun shell case which contains the illuminant as the projectiles, and wherein the illumination comprises streamers in-flight.

5. The illumination device of claim 1 wherein the illuminant material comprises a man-made metal mixture containing at least one rare earth metal and an oxide of iron.

6. The illumination device of claim 1 wherein the bimodal blend is a blend of smaller-sized fragments and larger-sized pellets.

7. The illumination device of claim 6 wherein the fragments have a Feret diameter of from about 0.7 millimeter to about 1.8 millimeters and the pellets have a Feret diameter of from about 2 millimeters to about 10 millimeters.

8. The illumination device of claim 6 wherein the pellets have a Feret diameter which is from about 2× to about 12× the Feret diameter of the fragments.

9. The illumination device of claim 6 wherein the bimodal blend comprises, by mass percent, from about 60% to about 90% fragments and from about 10% to about 40% pellets.

10. The illumination device of claim 6 wherein the bimodal blend comprises a mass ratio of fragments to pellets of from about 2:1 to about 8:1.

11. The illumination device of claim 6 , comprising a bullet wherein the only source of ballistic energy that is needed to ignite the illuminant is propellant burning and wherein, in response to the ballistic energy, the smaller-sized fragments are capable of prompt ignition and burning to ignite the larger-sized pellets.

12. The illumination device of claim 1 wherein the illumination has a duration of from about 0.1 second to about 5 seconds.

13. An illuminant comprising:
a bimodal blend of a man-made metal mixture containing at least one rare earth metal and an oxide of iron;
wherein the bimodal blend is a blend of smaller-sized fragments and larger-sized pellets;
the illuminant being capable of ignition in response to ballistic energy to create illumination.

14. The illuminant of claim 13 wherein the illumination comprises streamers and/or a flash.

15. The illuminant of claim 13 wherein the fragments have a Feret diameter of from about 0.7 millimeter to about 1.8 millimeters and the pellets have a Feret diameter of from about 2 millimeters to about 10 millimeters.

16. The illuminant of claim 13 wherein the pellets have a Feret diameter which is from about 2× to about 12× the Feret diameter of the fragments.

17. The illuminant of claim 13 wherein the bimodal blend comprises, by mass percent, from about 60% to about 90% fragments and from about 10% to about 40% pellets.

18. The illuminant of claim 13 wherein the bimodal blend comprises a mass ratio of fragments to pellets of from about 2:1 to about 8:1.

19. A method of firing a projectile used as ammunition, comprising:
providing ammunition comprising propellant and a body having an interior cavity, the body configured to be launched as a projectile or configured to contain projectiles; and
an illuminant disposed in the cavity, the illuminant comprising a bimodal size blend of an illuminant material;
the illuminant being capable of ignition and dispersion in response to ballistic energy to create illumination;
igniting the propellant;
wherein the illuminant becomes incandescent as a result of heat from burning of the propellant; and
wherein the propellant launches the body from the barrel of a gun.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the ammunition comprises a bullet and the illuminant comprises a pellet attached to the bullet;
wherein the illuminant material comprises a man-made metal mixture containing at least one rare earth metal and an oxide of iron;
wherein the incandescent pellet emits a glow observable only from behind when the bullet travels downrange after being fired; and
wherein the pellet stays attached to the bullet during acceleration and flight of the bullet after firing.

Assignees

• Battelle Memorial Institute

Inventors

• Reuther James J
• Shawcross Paul E
• Cucksey Chad M
• Loeser Ronald L
• Leach John R
• Paugh Jason E
• Tackett Emmett Mark
• Gombarcik James D

Classifications

• F42B12/382

  emitting an electromagnetic radiation, e.g. laser beam or infrared emission · CPC title

• F42B12/42

  of illuminating type, e.g. carrying flares · CPC title

• C06B23/008

  Tagging additives · CPC title

• F42B7/02

  Cartridges, i.e. cases with propellant charge and missile · CPC title

• F42B12/38 Primary

  of tracer type · CPC title