Interchangeable laser cavity cartridge

• US 5,345,707 A
• Filed: 03/31/1993
• Issued: 09/13/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Randall, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US08/040,961
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 42/103, 33/241, 362/110, 362/113, 362/114
• US Class Current: 42/117
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/35 for illuminating the target , e.g. flash lights

Abstract

An interchangeable laser cavity cartridge includes side, front and back ws which include v-way elements to provide optical alignment and releasable spring loaded locks to lock into a cartridge receptacle coupled to a weapon. Spring loaded electrical connections allow electrical connection to a laser cavity housed within the cartridge to activated a laser system within.

Claims

1. A laser cartridge assembly adapted for interchanging a plurality of laser cavity cartridges, each operational at a different lazing frequency, the assembly comprising:

a receptacle including interconnected top, front, back, and parallel enclosure surfaces, defining a laser cartridge enclosure, the receptacle coupled substantially underneath a weapon for releasable holding a laser cavity cartridge within the cartridge receptacle enclosure, the receptacle further including an aperture through one surface of said cartridge receptacle for projecting a laser beam therethrough, and an electrical contact means on one of an inside receptacle enclosure surface;

slot means in each of said cartridge receptacle surfaces for respectively mating with cartridge alignment means;

a cartridge of the plurality of laser cavity cartridges with interconnecting top, bottom, front, back, and parallel surfaces, with inner surfaces thereof defining a laser cavity within the cartridge, the cartridge further including an aperture within one surface of said interconnecting surfaces thereof which allows projection of a laser beam therethrough when properly aligned with the aperture of the laser cartridge receptacle, with said laser cavity containing a lazing means designed to operate at a specific lazing frequency, further including electrical contact means which project through and outward of said cartridge for mating with the electrical contact means in the laser receptacle;

an alignment means on outside said top, front, back, and parallel surfaces of said cartridge, corresponding to a respective slot means for releasable coupling to the slot means, whereby when the cartridge is releasable held within the cartridge receptacle, optical alignment is achieved between the respective apertures such that activation of the laser cavity through electrical connection between the respective electrical contact means allow projection of the laser beam through the cartridge and the cartridge receptacle to a target.

2. A method of interchanging various interchangeable laser cavity cartridges designed to operate at different lazing frequencies, releasably locked within a receptacle coupled to a weapon comprising:

providing a receptacle coupled substantially underneath a weapon for releasably holding one of the various interchangeable laser cavity cartridges substantially enclosed therwithin, with an aperture projecting through a receptacle enclosure surface;

providing one of various interchangeable cartridge housings for the various interchangeable laser cavity cartridges, each of the housings defining a laser cavity including lazing means capable of operating at a separate lazing frequency, with an aperture projecting through the cartridge housing;

inserting said interchangeable laser cavity cartridge into said receptacle such that the cartridge is optically aligned and releasable locked within the receptacle with both of the apertures optically aligned, and electrical connection is made from the receptacle therethrough the cartridge housing;

activating the lazing means such that a laser beam projects through the cartridge and receptacle to a target, and whereby upon deactivation of the lazing means, the cartridge can be released from the receptacle and another one of said interchangeable laser cavity cartridges with a laser cavity containing a different lazing means designed to operate at a different lazing frequency may be releasable locked within the receptacle for activation and emission of a different laser beam.