Flash suppressor

Abstract

At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a flash suppressor comprising at least one gas channel where a portion of the gases exhausted from a barrel when a projectile is emitted is directed into the at least one gas channel, where the at least one gas channel has a channel axis that is at a non-zero angle with respect to a bore axis, and where the at least one gas channel directs a gas portion to an ambient environment surrounding the flash suppressor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flash suppressor comprising:
 a first gas region, where the first gas region is enclosed by a first solid portion, where the first solid portion is configured so that the first solid portion can be operatively attached to a barrel;   a second gas region, where the second gas region is enclosed by a second solid portion, where the second solid portion is operatively attached to the first solid portion;   a bore region, where the bore region is enclosed by a third solid portion, where the bore region is configured to facilitate the passage of a projectile through the bore region, where the bore region has a bore axis that is parallel to an axis of a bore of the barrel; and   at least one gas channel, where the at least one gas channel passes through a fourth solid portion, where the fourth solid portion is operatively attached to the third solid portion, where the fourth solid portion is operatively attached to the second solid portion, where the first gas region is configured to accept at least a first portion of the gases exhausted from the barrel when a projectile is exhausted from the barrel, where first gas region is configured to direct the first portion of gases into the second gas region, where the second gas region is configured to direct a second portion of the a first portion of the gases into the at least one gas channel, where the at least one gas channel has a channel axis that is at a non-zero angle with respect to the bore axis, and where the at least one gas channel directs at least a third portion of the second gas portion to an ambient environment surrounding the flash suppressor.   
     
     
         2 . The flash suppressor of  claim 1 , where the third and fourth solid portions are part of a unitary machined element. 
     
     
         3 . The flash suppressor of  claim 1 , where the first and third solid portions are part of a first unitary machined element. 
     
     
         4 . The flash suppressor of  claim 1 , where the second, third, and fourth solid portions are part of a unitary machined element. 
     
     
         5 . The flash suppressor of  claim 1 , where the second and fourth solid portions are part of a second unitary machined element. 
     
     
         6 . The flash suppressor of  claim 5 , where the first unitary machined element is fastened to the second unitary machined element, and where the first unitary machined element is configured to be attached to a barrel. 
     
     
         7 . The flash suppressor of  claim 1 , where the first solid portion is fastened to the barrel by at least one of a threaded portion, a weld, a latch, a bolt, press fitted, and a pin. 
     
     
         8 . The flash suppressor of  claim 7 , where the second solid portion is fastened to the fourth solid portion by at least one of a threaded portion, a weld, a latch, a bolt, press fitted, and a pin. 
     
     
         9 . The flash suppressor of  claim 8 , where the fourth solid portion is fastened to the third solid portion by at least one of a threaded portion, a weld, a latch, a bolt, press fitted, and a pin. 
     
     
         10 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 9  where at least a first portion of the first solid portion is fabricated from at least one of an aluminum alloy, steel alloy, titanium alloy, and a nickel alloy. 
     
     
         11 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 10 , where the at least one gas channel comprises at least a first and a second gas channel. 
     
     
         12 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 11 , where the first gas channel has a first channel axis, where the second gas channel has a second channel axis, where the first channel axis is inclined a first angle with respect to the bore axis, where the second channel axis is inclined a second angle with respect to the bore axis, where the first angle is non-zero and where the second angle is non-zero. 
     
     
         13 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 12 , where the first angle and the second angle are between about 1 degrees and about 179 degrees. 
     
     
         14 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 12 , where the first channel axis and the second channel axis lie in a plane about 90 degrees to the bore axis. 
     
     
         15 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 13 , where the first channel is tubular and directs a first exhaust gas along the first channel axis when the barrel exhausts a projectile. 
     
     
         16 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 15 , where the second channel is tubular and directs a second exhaust gas along the second channel axis when the barrel exhausts a projectile. 
     
     
         17 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 16 , where at least a portion of the first exhaust gas is directed in the forward direction, where the forward direction is along the bore axis in the direction of an exhausted projectile. 
     
     
         18 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 17 , where at least a portion of the second exhaust gas is directed in the forward direction. 
     
     
         19 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 18  where the first and second channels are symmetrically arranged about the bore axis. 
     
     
         20 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 19 , where the first portion of the gases exhausted from the barrel travel from an exit of the barrel to the exit of the first channel along a first path length, where the projectile travels from the exit of the barrel to an exit of the flash suppressor along a projectile path, where the first path length is greater than the projectile path. 
     
     
         21 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 20 , where a second portion of the gases exhausted from the barrel travel from an exit of the barrel to the exit of the second channel along a second path length, where the second path length is greater than the projectile path. 
     
     
         22 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 21 , where the projectile has a sealing length, where there is an offset distance from an entrance of the bore region to the barrel exit, where the sealing length is greater than the offset distance. 
     
     
         23 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 22 , where the first path length is greater than 1.1 times the projectile path. 
     
     
         24 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 23 , where the second path length is greater than 1.1 times the projectile path. 
     
     
         25 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 24 , where the first path length is at least a distance so that gas is exhausted from the exit of the first channel into the ambient environment after the projectile passes the exit of the flash suppressor. 
     
     
         26 . The flash suppressor according to  claim 25 , where the second path length is at least a distance so that gas is exhausted from the exit of the first channel into the ambient environment after the projectile passes the exit of the flash suppressor. 
     
     
         27 . A method of flash suppression comprising:
 directing a portion of the gases exhausted from a barrel along a first path, where the portion of gases takes a first time to travel along the first path; and   directing a projectile along a second path where the projectile takes a second time to travel along the second path, where the second time is less than the first time.