The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 19, 1995
Filed:
Oct. 14, 1994
Craig J Boucher, Simsbury, CT (US);
The Ensign-Bickford Company, Simsbury, CT (US);
Abstract
An electronic safe/arm device is powered internally by a low-voltage, periodic power source that has insufficient voltage by itself to fire the detonator. The circuit therefore includes a step-up transformer from which sufficient voltage to fire the detonator is obtained. The step-up transformer charges an arming circuit which stores high-voltage power to fire the detonator and also powers the firing circuit which discharges the stored high-voltage energy through the detonator at the appropriate time, to fire the device. The low-voltage, periodic power source may include a low-voltage battery and a dynamic switch for providing periodic pulses of low-voltage energy to the primary winding of the transformer, and the dynamic switch may be powered from the output of the transformer, so that the low-voltage battery has insufficient voltage to power the dynamic switch. Accordingly, high-voltage energy derived from the output of the transformer is required to operate the circuit, providing assurance that the device will not fire if the circuit is damaged.