US4020765A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Light activated fuze
Assignee: United States Department of the Army
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Filing: 1975-11-07
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Granted: 1977-05-03
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Expires: 1995-11-07
Abstract
Abstract In a warhead assembly having an explosive and a detonator for activating said explosive, a fuze comprising a triboluminescent material coated on the interior portion of said assembly, a photo-sensitive detector for detecting the light caused by said triboluminescent material upon impact of said warhead assembly, and means responsive to said photo-sensitive detector and communicating with said detonator so as to cause the detonator to activate and detonate the explosive.
Inventors
- 👤 Coy M. Glass, deceased
- 👤 James G. Dante
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 08:58
CPC Classifications
F; F42; F42C; F42C1/00; F42C1/10; F42C11/00; F42C15/00; F42C15/38
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
70 words
In a warhead assembly having an explosive and a detonator for activating said explosive, a fuze comprising a triboluminescent material coated on the interior portion of said assembly, a photo-sensitive detector for detecting the light caused by said triboluminescent material upon impact of said war-head assembly, and means responsive to said photo-sensitive detector and communicating with said detonator so as to cause the detonator to activate and detonate the explosive.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
70 words
In a warhead assembly having an explosive and a detonator for activating said explosive, a fuze comprising a triboluminescent material coated on the interior portion of said assembly, a photo-sensitive detector for detecting the light caused by said triboluminescent material upon impact of said war-head assembly, and means responsive to said photo-sensitive detector and communicating with said detonator so as to cause the detonator to activate and detonate the explosive.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The assembly of claim 1 including sensitivity control means for controlling the sensitivity of the device in response to the light from said triboluminescent material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The assembly of claim 2 wherein said sensitivity control means is a varying gating-cathode resistance means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein said warhead assembly contains an ogive and said triboluminescent material is coated on the entire inside surface of said ogive.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein said triboluminescent material is selected from the group consisting of ZnF 2 :Mn, ZnS:Ag, ZnS:Mn, CaP 2 O 7 :D 4 , a zirconium-tin-alloy and ZnCdS.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein said photo-sensitive detector comprises a photo-silicon-controlled-rectifier.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The assembly of claim 1 including a power supply activated by setback forces when the warhead is launched and a condensor that is charged by an external supply before the warhead is launched.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The assembly of claim 1 including means for amplifying the electrical signal from said photo-sensitive detector to said detonator.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
12 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein said triboluminescent material is a zirconium-tin-alloy.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
11 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein said triboluminescent material is ZnS:Ag.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
11 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein said triboluminescent material is ZnS:Mn.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein said triboluminescent material is CaP 2 O 7 :D 4 .
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
11 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein said triboluminescent material is ZnCdS.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
13 words
The assembly of claim 1 wherein said triboluminescent material is ZnF 2 :Mn.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-05-02 | 1980-11-01 | 1981-05-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-05-02 | 1984-11-01 | 1985-05-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-05-02 | 1988-11-01 | 1989-05-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |