Electric tracer munition

Abstract

There is disclosed a tracer munition. There is provided a tracer munition for selective activation, the tracer munition comprising: an electronic tracer device, said tracer munition comprising at least one cavity capable of receiving said electronic tracer device wherein the electronic tracer device comprises an electrical power source and an electronic emitter, whereupon selective activation of the electronic tracer device, said electronic emitter emits radiation.

Claims

1. A tracer bullet for selective activation, the tracer bullet comprising: an electronic tracer device including an electrical power source and an electronic emitter, whereupon selective activation of the electronic tracer device, said electronic emitter emits radiation; a cavity capable of receiving said electronic tracer device, such that the electronic tracer device is entirely disposed within the cavity; and an outer sheath and an inner core, wherein the outer sheath extends past an end portion of the inner core to create the cavity between an inner wall of the outer sheath and the end portion of the inner core.

2. The tracer bullet according to claim 1, wherein the electronic emitter includes a light emitting diode or laser diode.

3. The tracer bullet according to claim 1, wherein the radiation emitted by the electronic emitter is in one or both of the visible light spectrum range and infrared radiation (IR) spectrum range.

4. The tracer bullet according to claim 2, wherein the electronic emitter is one of a plurality of light emission units each connected to the electrical power source independently and said light emission units each comprise: an array including a plurality of light emitting diodes or laser diodes; and a power converter unit for driving the array.

5. The tracer bullet according to claim 4, wherein the array comprises at least two different wavelength light emitting diodes or laser diodes.

6. The tracer bullet according to claim 4, further comprising: an operator interface, a control unit independently connected to each light emission unit, the control unit comprising a processor and being operably connected to the operator interface.

7. The tracer bullet according to claim 4, wherein each light emission unit comprises a capacitive energy storage, inductive energy storage, kinetic energy storage, electrical cell store, and/or combinations thereof.

8. The tracer bullet according to claim 1, wherein the selective activation comprises an instant initiation or a delayed initiation, and one or both of a wirelessly controlled initiation and a mechanically controlled initiation.

9. The tracer bullet according to claim 1, wherein the cavity is the only cavity on the tracer bullet capable of receiving the electronic tracer device.

10. The tracer bullet according to claim 1, further comprising a retainer, to retain the electronic tracer device within the cavity.

11. The tracer bullet according to claim 1, wherein the cavity faces rearwardly of the tracer bullet.

12. A tracer device in a cavity of a tracer bullet, wherein the tracer bullet comprises an outer sheath and an inner core, wherein the outer sheath extends past an end portion of the inner core to create the cavity between an inner wall of the outer sheath and the end portion of the inner core, and wherein the tracer device comprises: an electrical power source; and a light emitting diode or laser diode.

13. A method of following the trajectory path of the tracer bullet of claim 1, the method comprising: firing the tracer bullet; causing activation of the electronic tracer device; and tracking the spectral output of the electronic emitter.

14. A tracer bullet for selective activation, the tracer bullet comprising: an electronic tracer device, said tracer bullet containing a cavity capable of receiving said electronic tracer device; and an outer sheath and an inner core, wherein the outer sheath extends past an end portion of the inner core to create the cavity between an inner wall of the outer sheath and the end portion of the inner core, wherein the electronic tracer device is located within the cavity, such that it is flush with or recessed into a tail portion of the tracer bullet, wherein the electronic tracer device comprises an electrical power source and a light emitting diode or laser diode, whereupon selective activation of the electronic tracer device causes said light emitting diode or laser diode to emit light radiation.

15. The tracer bullet according to claim 14, wherein an opening of the cavity faces rearwardly of the tracer bullet.

16. The tracer bullet according to claim 15, wherein the electronic tracer device is retained within the cavity via a potting compound.

17. The tracer bullet according to claim 10, wherein the retainer comprises a potting compound.

18. The tracer device according to claim 12, wherein the light emitting diode or laser diode is configured for deployment within the cavity of the tracer bullet, the cavity facing rearwardly of the tracer bullet.

19. The tracer device according to claim 18, wherein the tracer device is retainable within the cavity via a potting compound.

20. The tracer device according to claim 12, wherein the cavity is the only cavity on the tracer bullet capable of receiving the tracer device.

Description

(1) So that the invention may be well understood, embodiments thereof shall now be described with reference to the following figures, of which:

(2) FIG. 1 show an exploded side view of a shell comprising a device according to the invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the illumination payload device

(4) FIGS. 3 and 3a shows a cross section along the axis of the shell in FIG. 1

(5) FIG. 4 shows a three-dimensional representation of a device according to the present invention;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of a device according to the present invention;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of a device according to the present invention;

(8) FIGS. 7 and 7a show a tracer bullet, tracer round with an electronic tracer device.

(9) Turning to FIG. 1 there is provided a shell 1, with a main body 5, which is manufactured from a steel alloy. Located around the circumference of the main body 5 is a copper driving band 4, which allows engagement with the rifling on the bore of a barrel, so as to impart spin. A tail unit 2 is located at the aft of the main body 5. The tail unit 2 is made from aluminium and contains a male threaded portion 3, which engages with a reciprocal female threaded portion (not shown) located in the aft of the main body 5. The illumination payload device 100 (see FIG. 2), when located in the payload cavity 10a, inside the main body, is retained in place by use of a locking ring 6, which screws into the forward end of main body 5. The frangible ogive element 7 has a frangible link 7a, in the form of an aluminium thread. The frangible ogive element 7 may be secured to the locking ring 6 or directly to the main body 5. The frangible ogive element receives the expulsion charge 8 and fuze 9. Upon operation of the fuze 9, the expulsion charge 8 builds up pressure within the frangible ogive element and at the bursting pressure the thread 3 shears and the illumination payload device 100 is expelled from the aft of the main body 5. The tail unit 2, comprises a cavity 401 (see FIG. 3a), which faces rearwardly and comprises an electronic tracer device 400. The electronic tracer device 401 is retained by a retainer 402, in the form of a potting compound.

(10) FIG. 2 shows a modular illumination unit 10, comprising the illumination payload assembly 100, with an electronic switch (or receiver for remote control) 11. The switch after a predetermined period activates the device 29 (shown as 100 in FIG. 6). When the payload 100 is ejected the drogue parachute 27 functions and the parachute delay device 21 causes the main parachute 28 to be deployed.

(11) FIG. 3 shows an illumination shell 20, with a main body 24 formed from a steel alloy, with a driving band 26 located thereupon. A tail unit 12 is located at the aft of the main body 24. The tail unit 12 is made from aluminium and contains a male threaded portion 13, which engages with a reciprocal female threaded portion 14 located at the aft of the main body 24.

(12) The illumination payload device 100 is located in the payload cavity 15, and is retained in place by use of a locking ring 16, which screws into the forward end of main body 24.

(13) The frangible ogive element 17 has a frangible fink 17a, in the form of an aluminium thread, which is fastened to the looking ring 16. The frangible ogive element receives the expulsion charge 18 and fuze 19. Upon operation of the fuze 19, the expulsion theme 18 builds up pressure within the frangible ogive element and at the bursting pressure the thread 13 shears and the illumination payload device 100 is expelled from the aft of the main body 24.

(14) The illumination payload device 100 is a modular illumination unit 10, which slides into the payload cavity 15.

(15) With reference to FIG. 4 there is shown generally at 400 electronic tracer device 400. The device 400 comprises a housing 130 which accommodates a an light source in the form of an LED 404. The housing 130 further accommodates a power source 106, an initiation device 108, a transceiver 110 for wireless control of the device, an ultracapacitor 114 (which may be arranged as a plurality of arrays, if there are a plurality of LEDs, especially for larger tracer rounds), a power converter unit 116 (which may be arranged as a plurality of converter units) for driving the LEDs, and a control unit 118.

(16) In operation, the device 400 may be initiated by the launch of the tracer munition. The initiation device 108 will process the stimulus, such as an instruction via the wireless remote control 110, (which may be delivered by a remote control retained by the operator) or a high g force or spin rate of the tracer munition causes the battery 106 to transfer energy, via the power converter units 116 and/or ultracapacitors 114 to the LED 404, which then emit light to illuminate the rear end of the tracer munition to allow its trajectory to be monitored and tracked.

(17) FIG. 5 shows schematically a device 200, similar to device 100, where components similar to components in device 100 are incremented by 100.

(18) With reference to FIG. 5, there is shown a device 200 provided with a plurality of light emission units 201. Each of the light emission units 201 comprises an ultracapacitor array 214, a power converter unit 216 and the LED array 220. The ultracapacitor array 214 is connected to the power converter unit 216 which is in turn connected to the LED array 220.

(19) For instance, a light emission unit 201a comprises ultracapacitor array 214a, connected to power converter unit 216a connected to an LED array 220a.

(20) The device 200 is further provided with an ultracapacitor charger 215 connected to each of the arrays of ultracapacitors 214a, 214b and 214c. The ultracapacitor charger 215 is connected to a power source 206 such that the ultracapacitor charger 215 can receive and manage power from the source 206. The ultracapacitor charger 215 is further connected to a control unit 218 such that it may send and receive signals from the control unit 218.

(21) The control unit 218 is additionally connected to each of the power converter units 216a, 218b and 216c such that it can send and receive signals to and from these units.

(22) Still further, the control unit 218 is connected to various interface units, such as a PIR sensor unit 224 and a wireless control unit 210 (which may be provided as part of a broader operator interface including also a manual remote control unit) such that the control unit 218 may act in dependence on signals received from these.

(23) The control unit 218 comprises a signal generator (not shown) and/or clock for generating a periodic signal that varies between an upper value and a lower value at a predetermined frequency.

(24) Each ultracapacitor array 214a, 214b, and 214c is driven by the ultracapacitor charger 215, under instruction from the control unit 218 such that the charging of the ultracapacitor array is regulated such that should the LED array need activation at a predetermined time, the ultracapacitor array is able to discharge through the power converter unit 216 into the LED array 220 (and thereby put the device 200 is a high power output mode) in a predetermined manner.

(25) Accordingly the LED arrays may be switched between a high power mode (i.e. as the ultracapacitor array 214 discharges into the LED array 220) and a low power mode (i.e. as the ultracapacitor array 214 is charged).

(26) FIG. 6 shows schematically a device 300, similar to device 100, where components similar to components in device 100 are incremented by 200.

(27) As such, with reference FIG. 6 there is shown generally at 300 a further schematic embodiment of a device. As compared with the FIG. 5 embodiment, this device 300 tends to do away with the ultracapacitor arrays so 214a, 214b, 214c and the associated charger 215.

(28) Thus in this FIG. 6 embodiment, the light emission units 301 comprise a power converter unit 316 connected to an LED array 320.

(29) A power source 306 is connected to each of the power converters 316a, 316b and 316c. A control unit 318 is connected to each of the power converters 316a, 316b and 316c. The control unit 318 is also connected to various interface units, such as a PIR sensor unit 324 and a wireless control unit 310 (which may be provided as part of a broader operator interface including also a manual remote control unit) such that the control unit 318 may act in dependence on signals received from these.

(30) In operation, the device 300 activates at least one of the LED arrays 320a, 320b, and 320c when the associated power converter unit 316a, 316b, or 316c is instructed by a signal from the control unit 318 to pass electrical energy from the power source 306 to its associated LED array. With energy being transferred from the power source 306 to an LED array 302, the device 300 is placed in a high power mode of operation.

(31) The instruction to pass energy between the power source 306 and some or all of the LED arrays 320a, 320b, 320c may be in the form of a periodic signal having a first phase of a cycle and a second phase of a cycle such that the first phase of the cycle causes activation of the LED arrays 320a, 320b, 320c (i.e. electrical energy is supplied to the LED arrays 320a, 320b, 320c) and the second portion of the cycle causes deactivation (i.e. not electrical energy supplied to the arrays).

(32) Turning to FIGS. 7 and 7a The cartridge assembly 510 comprises a casing 512 and a tracer projectile 514. The casing 512 has a hollow section 516 which will contain propellant for displacement of the tracer projectile 514. The casing 512 further comprises a head 518 at the end opposite to the tracer projectile 514 which comprises a chamber 520 for a percussion cap, and a flash tube 522 for communication of an ignition charge from the percussion cap to the inside of the casing 512 and thus the propellant. The walls of the chamber 516 are formed integrally with the head 518. Such a cartridge casing may typically be formed of brass. This material choice has many advantages, for example, it is relatively easy to form into the desired shape. However, brass has demerit in that it is also relatively dense, and hence the casing 512 forms a relatively large percentage of the mass of the whole cartridge. The tracer projectile 514 comprises an outer sheath 519 which comprises inner core 515, and an extended outer sheath portion 517, which is typically drawn past the inner core 514 to create a cavity 501. The cavity is then filled with an electronic tracer device 500. Once the tracer round (bullet) is fired from a gun the electronic tracer device 500 may be initiated either by remote control techniques, or by the physical forces exerted on it by spin or high-g set back. The tracer projectile may be any calibre.

(33) In general operation any of the devices 200 or 300 may be used as follows.

(34) An operator firstly launches or fires the tracer munition.

(35) The operator then selects that the device be activated. This selection may be by means of an instruction to the device issued, via an operator-held remote control device, to the wireless transceiver. Alternatively this instruction may have been made prior to deployment of the device by setting a countdown timer (using a dock in the control unit) such that at the end of the countdown, the device is activated. Alternatively the instruction may be on launch and a physical stimulus such a high-g or high spin rate.

(36) Upon activation the LEDs or laser diodes 530 emit radiation.