Hybrid electronic and electromechanical arm-fire device
View Patent ↗A hybrid electronic and electromechanical arm-fire device comprising a moving mechanical element having a safe position and an armed position, one or more pyrotechnic detonators each having an output mounted on the moving mechanical element, a pickup adjacent to the detonator output(s) that is in alignment therewith when the moving mechanical element is in the armed position but is not so aligned when the moving mechanical element is in the safe position, and electronic circuitry including a logic core having an electronic switch. The electronic circuitry may also include an electronic sensor such as a photointerruptor.
1. A hybrid electronic and electromechanical arm-fire device comprising:
a) at least one pyrotechnic detonator having an output;
b) a moveable mechanical element having a safe position and an armed position, wherein said pyrotechnic detonator is mounted on said moveable mechanical element;
c) a pickup adjacent said output that is in alignment with said output when said moveable mechanical element is in said armed position but is not in alignment with said output when said moveable mechanical element is in said safe position;
d) electronic circuitry including an electronic positional sensor and a logic core having an electronic switch, wherein said electronic positional sensor is a photointerruptor; and
e) fins connected to said moveable mechanical element.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein said moveable mechanical element is biased so that when arming power is not applied to the device said fins do not block said photointerruptor.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein said logic core includes one or more elements selected from the selected from the following group: MOSFETs, bipolar transistors, gate bipolar transistors, and silicon controlled resistors.
4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising means for firing said pyrotechnic detonator.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein said moveable mechanical element includes a rotary motor having a shaft on which said pyrotechnic detonator is mounted.
6. The device of claim 5 , further comprising a safe-arm indicator mounted on said shaft.
7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an electrically conductive shunt that is electrically connected to said pyrotechnic detonator when arming power is not applied to the device.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein said at least one pyrotechnic detonator comprises two pyrotechnic detonators, and said electronic circuitry includes two electronic positional sensors.
9. A hybrid electronic and electromechanical arm-fire device device comprising:
a) a pyrotechnic detonator means having an output;
b) a pickup means;
c) a mechanical means for mechanically moving said output of said pyrotechnic detonator between positions of alignment and misalignment with said pickup means;
d) an electronic switching means for switching between a safe mode and an armed mode, wherein in said safe mode said electronic switching means prevents said pyrotechnic detonator from being initiated; and
e) an electornic positional sensing means for sensing whether said output of said pyrotechnic detonatior is aligned or misaligned with said pickup means, wherein said eletronic positional sensing means includes a photointerruptor; and
f) fins connected to said mechanical means.
10. The device of claim 9 , wherein said mechanical means is biased so that when arming power is not applied to the device said fins do not block said photointerruptor.
11. The device of claim 9 , wherein said electronic switching means includes one or more elements selected from the following group: MOSFETs, bipolar transistors, gate bipolar transistors, and silicon controlled resistors.
12. The device of claim 9 , further comprising means for firing said pyrotechnic detonator means.
13. The device of claim 9 , wherein said mechanical means includes a rotary motor having a shaft on which said pyrotechnic detonator means is mounted.
14. The device of claim 13 , further comprising a safe-arm indicator means mounted on said shaft.
15. The device of claim 9 , further comprising shunt means for mechanically shunting said pyrotechnic detonator when arming power is not applied to the device.
16. The device of claim 9 , wherein said pyrotechnic detonator means includes two pyrotechnic detonators, and said pickup means includes two pickups.
17. A hybrid electronic and electromechanical arm-fire device comprising:
a) at least one pyrotechnic detonator having an output;
b) a moveable mechanical element having a safe position and an armed position, wherein said moveable mechanical element includes a rotary motor having a shaft on which said pyrotechnic detonator is mounted;
c) a pickup adjacent said output that is in alignment with said output when said moveable mechanical element is in said armed position but is not in alignment with said output when said moveable mechanical element is in said safe position; and,
d) electronic circuitry including an electronic positional sensor and a logic core having an electronic swithch.
18. The device of claim 17 , wherein said electronic positional sensor is a photointerruptor, and the device further includes fins connected to said moveable mechanical element.
19. The device of claim 18 , wherein said moveable mechanical element is biased so that when arming power is not applied to the device said fins do not block said photointerruptor.
20. The device of claim 17 , wherein said logic core includes one or more elements selected from the following group: MOSFETs, bipolar transistors, gate bipolar transistors, and silicon controlled resistors.
21. The device of claim 17 , further comprising means for firing said pyrotechanic detonator.
22. The device of claim 17 , further comprising a safe-arm indicator mounted on said shaft.
23. The device of claim 17 , further comprising an electically conductive shunt that is electrically connected to said pyrotechnic detonator when arming power is not applied to the device.
24. The device of claim 17 , wherein said at least one pyrotechnic detonator comprises two pyrotechnic detonators, and said eletronic circuitry includes two electronic positional sensors.
25. A hybrid electronic and electomechanical arm-fire device device comprising:
a) a pyrotechnic detonator means having an output;
b) a pickup means;
c) a mechanical means for mechanically moving said output of said pyrotechnic detonator between positions of alignment and misalignment with said pickup means, said mechanical means including a rotary motor having a shaft on which said pyrotechnic detonator means is mounted;
d) an electronic switching means for switching between a safe mode and an armed mode, wherein in said safe mode said electronic switching means prevents said pyrotechnic detonator from being initiated; and
e) an electronic positional sensing means for sensing whether said output of said pyrotechnic detonator is aligned or misaligned with said pickup means.
26. The device of claim 25 , wherein said electronic positional sensing means includes a photointerruptor, and the device further includes fins connected to said mechanical mean.
27. The device of claim 26 , wherein said mechanical means is biased so that when arming power is not applied to the device said fins do not block said photointerruptor.
28. The device of claim 25 , wherein said electronic switching means includes one or more elements selected from the following group: MOSFETs, bipolar transistors, gate bipolar transistors, and silicon controlled resistors.
29. The device of claim 25 , further comprising means for firing said pyrotechnic detonator means.
30. The device of claim 25 , further comprising a safe-arm indicator means mounted on said shaft.
31. The device of claim 25 , further comprising shunt means for mechanically shunting said pyrotechnic detonator when arming power is not applied to the device.
32. The device of claim 25 , wherein said pyrotechnic detonator means includes two pyrotechnic detonators, and said pickup means includes two pickups.