1. A telescoped ammunition cartridge assembly, comprising:
a case having a front end and a base end positioned along a longitudinal axis;
a projectile positioned along the longitudinal axis towards the front end of the case;
an endcap coupled to the front end of the case and adapted to retain the projectile entirely within the case;
a primer positioned along the longitudinal axis towards the base end of the case;
a primer support coupled to the base end of the case and adapted to support the primer within the case; and
at least one obturating lip seal to seal at least one of the endcap or the primer support to the case.
2. The telescoped ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one obturating lip seal comprises an exterior surface exposed to propellant contained within the case, and an interior surface coupled to the at least one of the endcap or the primer support.
3. The telescoped ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 2, wherein the exterior surface has a larger surface area than the interior surface of the at least one obturating lip seal.
4. The telescoped ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 1, wherein the projectile includes a mounting groove adapted to face towards an inner surface of the endcap for removeable attachment of the projectile to the endcap.
5. The telescoped ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 4, wherein the mounting groove of the projectile is coupled to the endcap using an ultrasonic welding attachment.
6. The telescoped ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 1, wherein the endcap defines a through-hole having a diameter that is sized to receive and retain the projectile prior to firing.
7. The telescoped ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 6, wherein the endcap includes a stepped interface facing towards the through-hole to control shot start force and to increase firing accuracy.
8. The telescoped ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 6, wherein the endcap includes a C-shaped portion that is coupled to the projectile, wherein the C-shaped portion is a adapted to flex inwards during firing to seal against the projectile body to prevent gas leakage.
9. The telescoped ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 9, further comprising a relief volume of air positioned within the snap fit and between the case and endcap to maintain pressure within the case in the event propellant gasses escape during the initial stages of firing.
10. The telescoped ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 1, further comprising a relief volume of air positioned between the case and at least one of the endcap or the primer support to maintain pressure within the case in the event propellant gasses escape during the initial stages of firing.
11. The telescoped ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 1, wherein the primer support is coupled to the case using an ultrasonic welding attachment.
12. An ammunition cartridge assembly, comprising:
a case having a front end and a base end positioned along a longitudinal axis;
a projectile positioned along the longitudinal axis towards the front end of the case;
an endcap coupled to the front end of the case and adapted to retain the projectile at least partially within the case;
a primer positioned along the longitudinal axis towards the base end of the case;
a primer support coupled to the base end of the case and adapted to support the primer within the case;
a first obturating lip seal to seal the endcap to the case; and
a second obturating lip seal to seal the primer support to the case.
13. The ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 12 further comprising a third obturating lip between the end cap and the projectile.
14. The ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 12, wherein at least one of the endcap or the primer support is coupled to the case using an ultrasonic welding attachment.
15. The ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 12, wherein the second obturating lip seal comprises an exterior surface exposed to propellant contained within the case, and an interior surface coupled to the primer support.
16. The ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 15, wherein the exterior surface has a larger surface area than the interior surface of the second obturating lip seal.
17. The ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 12, wherein the endcap defines a through-hole having a diameter that is sized to receive and retain the projectile prior to firing.
18. The ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 17, wherein the endcap includes a stepped interface facing towards the through-hole to control shot start force and to increase firing accuracy.
19. The ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 17, wherein the endcap includes a C-shaped portion that is coupled to the projectile, wherein the C-shaped portion is adapted to flex inwards during firing to seal against the projectile body to prevent gas leakage.
20. The ammunition cartridge assembly of claim 12, further comprising a relief volume of air positioned between the case and at least one of the endcap or the primer support to maintain pressure within the case in the event propellant gasses escape during the initial stages of firing.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of improving lasing efficiency of an erbium-based medium comprising:
a. exposing the medium to a first pump radiation of a first wavelength, such that a first erbium ion is excited from a first state to a second state,
b. thereby increasing the population of erbium ions in the second state, creating a population inversion necessary for lasing between the second state as the upper lasing state and a third state as the lower lasing state, said third state being different in energy level than the first state, and
c. exposing the medium to a second pump radiation of a second wavelength, such that a second erbium ion is excited from the third state to a fourth state, thereby reducing the population of erbium ions in the third state, reducing a bottleneck created by erbium ions populating the third state, and improving the population inversion necessary for lasing between the second state and the third state, wherein the third state is an 4I132lower lasing state and the fourth state is an 4I92 metastable state or a Stark level in the 4I112 state above said second state, and
wherein the lasing efficiency between the second state as the upper lasing state and the third state as the lower lasing state is improved.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the medium is exposed to the first pump radiation and the second pump radiation generally simultaneously.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first state is an 4I152 ground state and the second state is an 4I112 upper lasing state.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein
a. the first pump radiation has a wavelength between approximately 955 nanometers to approximately 1100 nanometers and wherein
b. the second pump radiation has a wavelength between approximately 1600 nanometers to approximately 1850 nanometers.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein
a. the first pump radiation has a wavelength region located between approximately 959 nanometers to approximately 985 nanometers and wherein
b. the second pump radiation has a wavelength region located between approximately 1610 nanometers to approximately 1680 nanometers.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein
a. the first pump radiation has a wavelength region located between approximately 959 nanometers to approximately 976 nanometers and wherein
b. the second pump radiation has a wavelength region located between approximately 1610 nanometers to approximately 1680 nanometers.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pump radiation and the second pump radiation are continuous waves.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pump radiation and the second pump radiation are pulsed.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the medium is exposed to the first pump radiation before to exposing the medium to the second pump radiation.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the exposure to the first pump radiation precedes exposure to the second pump radiation by approximately 100 microseconds.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first pump radiation and the second pump radiation are pulsed with a pulse repetition frequency ranging between approximately 1 Hz to approximately 100 kHz.