Detonator cartridge and methods of use

1. A method for mounting an energetic material initiation device to a firing circuit, the firing circuit including a circuit board, the method comprising:

providing a receiver assembly with a receiver, and a plurality of receiver terminals, the receiver including a base and an upstanding wall member, the base and the upstanding wall member cooperating to form a socket, the upstanding wall member defining a first insertion guide and a first locking member, the receiver terminals extending through at least one of the base and the upstanding wall member;

providing an initiator assembly with an initiator housing, an electronic initiator, a pellet assembly and a plurality of initiator terminals, the initiator housing defining a recess into which the pellet assembly is received, the initiator housing including a second insertion guide and a second locking member, the electronic initiator being at least partially encapsulated into the initiator housing, the initiator terminals being electrically coupled to the electronic initiator and extending through the initiator housing, the pellet assembly including an energetic material;

electrically coupling the receiver terminals to corresponding arming terminals on the circuit board when the pellet assembly is not disposed in the socket;

aligning the initiator assembly to the socket such that the first and second insertion guides are engaged to one another; and

electrically coupling the electronic initiator to the arming terminals solely by pushing the initiator assembly into the socket such that the first and second locking members are lockingly engaged to one another and the initiator terminals are electrically engaged to the receiver terminals.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initiator assembly is precisely aligned to the receiver assembly in a radial direction when the initiator assembly is pushed into the socket.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein one of the first and second insertion guides includes a groove having sidewalls, at least a portion of the sidewalls tapering inwardly toward one another.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the other one of the first and second insertion guides includes a rib with lateral sides, and wherein at least a portion of the lateral sides are inwardly tapered to match the inwardly tapered portion of the sidewalls of the groove.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiver further comprises a locating element and prior to electrically coupling the receiver terminals to the corresponding arming terminals the method comprises engaging the locating element to a mating locating element on the circuit board to precisely locate the receiver assembly on the circuit board.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein one of the locating element and the mating element includes a stem and the other one of the locating element and the mating element includes an aperture into which the stem is received.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein electrically coupling the receiver terminals to the corresponding arming terminals comprises soldering an end of the receiver terminals that is located outside the socket to the corresponding arming terminals.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initiator assembly further comprises a cover member that is directly coupled to the initiator housing.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cover member is crimped to a flange that extends about the initiator housing.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiver terminals bias the initiator assembly in a direction outwardly from the receiver housing.

11. An energetic material initiation device comprising:

a receiver assembly with a receiver and a plurality of receiver terminals, the receiver including a base and an upstanding wall member, the base and the upstanding wall member cooperating to form a socket, the upstanding wall member defining a first insertion guide and a first locking member, the receiver terminals extending through at least one of the base and the upstanding wall member; and

an initiator assembly received in the socket, the initiator assembly including an initiator housing, an electronic initiator, a pellet assembly and a plurality of initiator terminals, the initiator housing defining a recess into which the pellet assembly is received, the initiator housing including a second insertion guide and a second locking member, the electronic initiator being at least partially encapsulated into the initiator housing, the initiator terminals being electrically coupled to the electronic initiator and extending through the initiator housing, the pellet assembly including an energetic material;

wherein the first and second insertion guides are engaged to one another to align the initiator assembly to the socket;

wherein the first and second locking members engage one another to inhibit the initiator assembly from being withdrawn from the socket; and

wherein the receiver terminals resiliently engage the initiator terminals to electrically couple the electronic initiator and the receiver terminals.

12. The energetic material initiation device of claim 11 , wherein one of the first and second locking members includes an outer longitudinal wall and a first abutting wall, the outer longitudinal wall extending in a direction that is parallel to a central axis of the socket and tapering inwardly toward the central axis, the abutting wall extending in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the central axis of the socket, and wherein the other one of the first and second locking members includes a second abutting wall that abuts the first abutting wall when the first and second locking members are engaged to one another.

13. The energetic material initiation device of claim 11 , wherein the first and second insertion guides precisely align the initiator assembly to the receiver assembly when the initiator assembly is pushed into the socket.

14. The energetic material initiation device of claim 13 , wherein one of the first and second insertion guides includes a groove having sidewalls, at least a portion of the sidewalls tapering inwardly toward one another.

15. The energetic material initiation device of claim 14 , wherein the other one of the first and second insertion guides includes a rib with lateral sides, and wherein at least a portion of the lateral sides are inwardly tapered to match the inwardly tapered portion of the sidewalls of the groove.

16. The energetic material initiation device of claim 11 , wherein the receiver further comprises a locating element that is adapted to cooperate with a mating locating element on a circuit board associated with a firing circuit to radially locate the receiver assembly relative to the circuit board.

17. The energetic material initiation device of claim 16 , wherein the locating element is a stem that extends from the base of the receiver.

18. The energetic material initiation device of claim 11 , wherein the initiator assembly further comprises a cover member that is directly coupled to the initiator housing.

19. The energetic material initiation device of claim 18 , wherein the cover member is crimped to a flange that extends about the initiator housing.

20. A method for mounting an energetic material initiation device to a firing circuit, the firing circuit including a circuit board, the method comprising:

providing a receiver assembly with a receiver, and a plurality of receiver terminals, the receiver including a base and an upstanding wall member, the base and the upstanding wall member cooperating to form a socket, the upstanding wall member defining a first insertion guide and a first locking member, the receiver terminals extending through at least one of the base and the upstanding wall member;

engaging a locating element on the receiver to a mating locating element on the circuit board to precisely locate the receiver assembly on the circuit board, the locating element including a stem that is coupled to the base of the receiver and the mating locating element comprising an aperture that is formed in the circuit board;

providing an initiator assembly with an initiator housing, an electronic initiator, a pellet assembly, a cover and a plurality of initiator terminals, the initiator housing defining a recess into which the pellet assembly is received, the initiator housing including a second insertion guide and a second locking member, the electronic initiator being at least partially encapsulated into the initiator housing, the cover being crimped to a flange that extends about the initiator housing to thereby directly couple the cover and the initiator housing, the initiator terminals being electrically coupled to the electronic initiator and extending through the initiator housing, the pellet assembly including an energetic material;

soldering an end of the receiver terminals that is located outside the socket to the corresponding arming terminals to electrically couple the receiver terminals to corresponding arming terminals on the circuit board when the pellet assembly is not disposed in the socket;

aligning the initiator assembly to the socket such that the first and second insertion guides are engaged to one another; and

electrically coupling the electronic initiator to the arming terminals solely by pushing the initiator assembly into the socket such that the first and second locking members are lockingly engaged to one another and the initiator terminals are electrically engaged to the receiver terminals;

wherein one of the first and second insertion guides includes a groove having sidewalls, at least a portion of the sidewalls tapering inwardly toward one another, wherein the other one of the first and second insertion guides includes a rib with lateral sides, and wherein at least a portion of the lateral sides are inwardly tapered to match the inwardly tapered portion of the sidewalls of the groove and wherein the initiator assembly is precisely aligned to the receiver assembly in a radial direction when the initiator assembly is pushed into the socket; and

wherein the receiver terminals bias the initiator assembly in a direction outwardly from the receiver housing.