Chemical Lighting Device

Abstract

A chemical lighting device having an outer cylindrical sleeve of light trmitting material and first and second frangible ampoules positioned within said outer cylindrical sleeve. Indentions are provided in the outer cylindrical sleeve for keeping the ampoules separated in the cylindrical sleeve. One ampoule contains a chemiluminescent material and the other ampoule contains an activator material. The ampoules can be broken by bending the outer cylindrical sleeve and light is obtained when the chemiluminescent material and activator are mixed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a chemical lighting device and more particularly to a chemical lighting device which can be held in a hand and readily activated.

Various chemiluminescent peraminoethylene compounds have been used for lighting and marking purposes. One such use is described in U. S. Pat. 3,239,406, entitled, "Chemiluminescent Structures And Their Preparation," which issued Mar. 8, 1966, to Donald D. Coffman and Hilmer E. Winberg. This patent teaches the coating of flexible material, such as plastic strips, with tetrakis (dimethylamino) ethylene to provide a nocturnal marking tape. As tetrakis (dimethylamino) ethylene becomes luminescent upon exposure to air, the preparation of the tape is made under nitrogen and the saturated material is protected from air by covering with polyethylene film.

Another group of chemiluminescent compounds are made by adding a fluorescer to an oxalate-ester compound and then activating the mixture with an oxidizing material. U. S. Pat. 3,612,857, entitled, "Location Marker For Producing Luminous Display," which issued Oct. 12, 1971, to Dave Beatty and James Reinhart, describes a location marker which is a cloth streamer saturated with a mixture of bis(2,4,5 Trichloro-6-carbobutoxyphenyl) oxalate, anthracene cyanacryl terpolymer, and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in benzene. The activator fluid used to activate the chemiluminescent mixture is hydrogen peroxide in dimethyl phthalate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a chemical lighting device which can be held in the hand and which can be readily activated. An outer cylindrical sleeve of light transmitting material contains first and second ampoules which are kept separated in the cylindrical sleeve. One ampoule contains a chemiluminescent material and the second ampoule contains a activator fluid. Each ampoule is provided with a reduced neck portion which facilitates breaking the ampoule. When both ampoules are broken, the chemiluminescent material and activator fluid are mixed and light is obtained and transmitted through the cylindrical sleeve. As chemiluminescent material deterioates when even very small amounts of moisture are present, the sealing of the chemiluminescent material in a glass ampoule prevents such deterioration and permits long shelf life.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a chemical lighting device which can be readily activated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a tubular outer sleeve 11 having glass ampoules 12 and 13 positioned therein. Sleeve 11 is made of material which will transmit light such as clear radiation-crossed-linked polyolefinic plastic tube. The ends of sleeve 12 have been flattened by applying heat and pressure to form flat ends 14 and 15 that serve to retain ampoules 12 and 13 within sleeve 11. Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawing, it can be seen that sleeve 11 is provided with a reduced diameter portion 16 which prevents ampoules 12 and 13 from moving together and be susceptible to breaking. Ampoule 12 is retained between flat end 14 and reduced diameter portion 16 and ampoule 13 is retained between flat end 15 and reduced diameter portion 16. By way of example, sleeve 11 might be of a heat shrinkable material and reduced diameter portion 16 can be formed by applying heat to sleeve 11. In FIG. 2 of the drawing, two reduced diameter portions 17 and 18 are provided to retain ampoules 12 and 13 in position. The space 21 inside reduced diameter portion 16 and the space 22 between reduced diameter portions 17 and 18 serves as a mixing area when ampoules 12 and 13 are broken and the fluids therein are released. Ampoules 12 and 13 are provided with necks 23 that facilitate breaking the ampoules.

Ampoule 12 contains a chemiluminescent material which, by way of example, might be a mixture of an oxalate ester, such as bis(2,4,5-trichloro-6-carbopentoxyphenyl) oxalate, and a fluorescer, such as 9,10,-bis(phenylethynl) anthracene. Ampoule 13 contains an activator, such as hydrogen peroxide.

When it is desired to activate the chemical lighting system described herein, sleeve 11 is bent first in the region of the neck 23 of ampoule 12 to break ampoule 12 and then in the region of the neck of ampoule 13 to break ampoule 13. Mixing of the chemiluminescent material and the activator produces light that passes through sleeve 11.

Claims

We claim:

1. A chemiluminescent light device comprising,

an outer cylindrical sleeve of light transmitting material having flat end portions and first and second reduced diameter portions between said flat end portions,

first and second frangible ampoules positioned in said outer cylindrical sleeve, one of said ampoules being positioned between one flat end portion and said first reduced diameter portion and the other of said ampoules being positioned between the other flat end portion and said second reduced diameter portion,

a chemiluminescent fluid in said one frangible ampoule, and

activator fluid in said other frangible ampoule.

2. A chemiluminescent light device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said frangible ampoules are glass.

3. A chemiluminescent light device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said frangible ampoules have a neck portion to facilitate breakage.