Decoys for infra-red radiation seeking missiles and methods of producing and using the same
AssigneeAlloy Surfaces Company, Inc.
InventorsDavid Dillard, Jason A. Fischer, Rajesh D. Shah, John J. Scanlon, Eric M. Smith, Truong Quang Dinh, David L. Machamer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to decoys for heat-seeking missiles and methods of producing and using the same. The decoys axe designed to be kinematic or pseudo-kinematic, producing one or more infra-red radiation emitting clouds that give the appearance of a moving infra-red target in the airspace in which the decoy has been released.
Claims27
(canceled)
A decoy for an infra-red seeking device that comprises two or more bodies that are released, from the decoy sequentially after the decoy has beers released from a target, each of said bodies producing infra-red radiation after being released from said decoy, wherein each of the bodies is a bundle of pyrophoric elements, further wherein each bundle of pyrophoric elements forms a cloud of pyrophoric elements shortly after release from the decoy and said cloud of pyrophoric dements emits infra-red radiation.
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
A decoy for an infra-red seeking device that comprises two or more bodies that are released from the decoy sequentially after the decoy has been released from a target, each of said bodies producing infra-red radiation after being released from said decoy, wherein the decoy comprises (a) three or more bodies that are released from the decoy sequentially after the decoy has been released from a target and one of the bodies is released immediately after the decoy is released from the target;
- or (b) four or more bodies that are released from the decoy sequentially after the decoy has been released from a target and one of the bodies is released immediately after the decoy is released from the target, and wherein at least two of the bodies are released from the decoy sequentially due to the action of a fuse which burns through or melts;
- (a) straps that hold the bodies to the decoy;
- or (b) fasteners that are connected to straps that hold the bodies to the decoy.
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
A countermeasure for an infra-red radiation seeking device comprising, before deployment from a target;
- (a) a container;
- and (b) a decoy, wherein said decoy comprises:
- (i) two or more bundles of pyrophoric elements;
- (ii) an anchoring body to which at least one of the two or more bundles of pyrophoric elements is releasably attached;
- and (iii) a means for sequentially releasing at least one bundle that is attached to the anchoring body;
- wherein said decoy is disposed in said container and said container is hermetically sealed, filled with a gas that is inert to said pyrophoric elements, or both, and wherein said means for sequentially releasing the at least one bundle that is attached to the anchoring body is a pyrophoric body that heats up upon exposure to air and melts or burns at least one strap that binds said at least one bundle of pyrophoric dements to said anchoring body, thereby causing said at least one strap to break or fail.
A decoy for an infra-red radiation seeking device that comprises:
- a) an anchoring body having a top surface and a bottom surface;
- b) two or more pyrophoric bodies located above the top surface of the anchoring body;
- c) straps that bind at least two of the pyrophoric bodies to the anchoring body;
- and d) a fuse;
- wherein:
- (i) said fuse passes through said anchoring body so that a portion of the fuse is located in a position that is on or below the bottom surface of said anchoring body and a portion of said fuse is located on or above the top surface of said anchoring body;
- (ii) each of said straps has a point of connection to said anchoring body comprising an anchor loop that is in contact with, or in close proximity to, a portion of said fuse that is located on or above the top surface of the anchoring body;
- (iii) said pyrophoric bodies are released from the decoy sequentially due to the action of said fuse which burns through or melts said anchor loops after the decoy has been released from a target;
- (iv) each of said pyrophoric bodies produces infra-red radiation after being released from said decoy;
- and (v) said two or more pyrophoric bodies comprise a first pyrophoric body and a second pyrophoric body that are bound to said anchoring body by said straps;
- wherein said first pyrophoric body is released from said decoy before said second pyrophoric body and said first pyrophoric body is released from said decoy at a position that is closer to said target than the position at which said second pyrophoric body is released from said decoy, further wherein each of the pyrophoric bodies is a bundle of pyrophoric elements that forms a cloud of pyrophoric elements shortly after release from the decoy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.