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Throwable chemiluminescent device suitable for impact activation

Throwable chemiluminescent device suitable for impact activation description/claims

This application claims benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 200720097116.7, filed Aug. 16, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The application relates to a chemiluminescent device suitable for impact activation and for use in throwing.

Chemiluminescence is a phenomenon in which light is generated and emitted by the chemical reaction of substances.

The traditional chemiluminescent device is a thin long stick or tube, commonly known as a “light stick.” More recently, a variety of such products with different shapes, including a disk shape, have been made.

The traditional chemiluminescent device has a flexible external shell in the form of a tube. In storage, the tube contains two liquid components separated from each other by a fragile barrier, a typical example of which is a glass ampoule in the form of an inner tube. When chemiluminescence in the chemiluminescent device is required, the glass ampoule is broken by snapping, and the separated chemical components in the device mix and react to generate chemiluminescence. Typically the ampoule is broken by bending the flexible tube with pressure until the ampoule snaps, then the tube is shaken to mix the components inside to produce chemiluminescence.

However, in certain activities, it may be desired to throw an unactivated chemiluminescent device to a target area at a distance, in such a way that the chemiluminescent device is activated through the impact of hitting the ground or other hard surface to generate light. Under such circumstances, the chemiluminescent device cannot be activated by the traditional method of snapping the tube for activation. The current light stick, owing to the limitations of its structure, needs to be quite long in order to be reliably activated by impact. Such products are currently marketed with a length reaching 380 mm (15 inches). However, such length will adversely affect the use of the device in throwing, for example, such a long stick is not suitable for fixed point throwing, and is also inconvenient for throwing in a limited space.

According to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a chemiluminescent device suitable for impact activation and for use in throwing. It has an external form different from the traditional chemiluminescent stick, beneficial for use in throwing to a target area at a certain distance for activation; additionally this external form is also beneficial for throwing in a limited space.

According to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a chemiluminescent device suitable for impact activation and for use in throwing, having an external form adopting a spherical tube structure. The external form of the chemiluminescent device adopting a spherical tube structure mentioned above may be of a cylindrical, oblong, or polygonal shape with the “length to diameter ratio” lying between 0.5:1 and 3:1. Such a shape can give the device good throwing mechanics.

The glass used as separation material for the ampoule within the chemiluminescent device suitable for impact activation and for use in throwing mentioned above can be made into shapes that are able to be fitted into the external shell which includes spherical, oblong and cylindrical shapes.

One embodiment of a chemiluminescent device suitable for impact activation and use for throwing has an external shell of high polymer material, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, etc.

The advantages made possible by embodiments of the devices described in the present application include the following: the traditional chemiluminescent stick usually has to be snapped by hand for activation. Even if the traditional chemiluminescent stick can be impact activated and used for throwing, it has to have a sufficient length to facilitate activation, thus detracting from its throwability. Chemiluminescent devices described in the present application can have an external shell that is very suitable for use in throwing, and that is very advantageous for fixed point throwing and throwing in a limited space.

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross section of a chemiluminescent device.

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