Patent Application
20190249971
The present disclosure relates to low energy explosive transfer adapters and methods, and more particularly, to low energy explosive transfer adapters in aircraft egress systems.
Modern aircraft egress systems typically utilize deflagrating input signals from low energy explosive transfer lines to directly ignite energetic materials in downstream components. However, input signals from low energy explosive transfer lines can often be inconsistent, affecting the performance of components receiving the input signal.
A low energy explosive transfer adapter may comprise an adapter housing comprising a firing pin chamber situated within the adapter housing comprising an inlet and a stopping surface opposite the inlet, a primer chamber connected to the firing pin chamber, and an output tube connected to the primer chamber.
In various embodiments, the firing pin chamber may be configured to contain a firing pin. The adapter housing may comprise an adapter aperture for receiving a shear pin configured to be inserted into a shear pin groove of the firing pin and position the firing pin in the firing pin chamber. The low energy explosive transfer adapter may be configured to be directly inserted into an existing explosive signal transfer system. The low energy explosive transfer adapter may be configured to generate a consistent output signal regardless of variability of an input signal provided by a low energy explosive transfer line. The shear pin may be configured to mechanically fail at a threshold force.
An explosive transfer assembly may comprise a low energy input component, a low energy explosive transfer adapter coupled to the low energy input component, and an initiator component coupled to the low energy explosive transfer adapter.
In various embodiments, the low energy input component may comprise an input component housing comprising a first frusto-conical area, an input tube, a second frusto-conical area, a transition tube, and an open volume chamber. The low energy explosive transfer adapter may comprise an adapter housing comprising a firing pin chamber comprising an inlet, a primer chamber extending from the firing pin chamber, and an output tube extending from the primer chamber. The first frusto-conical area, the input tube, the second frusto-conical area, and the transition tube may be configured to receive a low energy explosive transfer line. The open volume chamber may be configured to contain expanding gases resulting from the low energy explosive transfer line igniting. The firing pin chamber may contain a firing pin. The firing pin may be configured to impact a primer in the primer chamber. The primer may be configured to ignite and transfer an explosive signal to the initiator component through the output tube. The low energy explosive transfer adapter may further comprise an adapter aperture for receiving a shear pin configured to be inserted into a shear pin groove of the firing pin and position the firing pin in the firing pin chamber. The low energy explosive transfer adapter may be configured to be threaded to the low energy input component and the initiator component.
A method of transferring a low energy explosive signal may comprise inserting a firing pin into a low energy explosive transfer adapter, coupling the low energy explosive transfer adapter to a low energy input component, coupling the low energy explosive transfer adapter to an initiator component, and inserting a low energy explosive transfer line into the low energy input component.
In various embodiments, the method may comprise igniting the low energy explosive transfer line and impacting a primer with the firing pin. The method may comprise placing an O-ring into an O-ring groove on the firing pin. The method may comprise inserting a primer into a primer chamber of the low energy explosive transfer adapter.
The foregoing features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated otherwise. These features and elements as well as the operation thereof will become more apparent in light of the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, the following description and drawings are intended to be exemplary in nature and non-limiting.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in, and constitute a part of, this specification, illustrate various embodiments, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.
The detailed description of various embodiments herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which show various embodiments by way of illustration. While these various embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that logical, chemical, electrical, and mechanical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation.
For example, the steps recited in any of the method or process descriptions may be executed in any order and are not necessarily limited to the order presented. Furthermore, any reference to singular includes plural embodiments, and any reference to more than one component or step may include a singular embodiment or step. Also, any reference to attached, fixed, connected, or the like may include permanent, removable, temporary, partial, full, and/or any other possible attachment option. Additionally, any reference to without contact (or similar phrases) may also include reduced contact or minimal contact.
For example, in the context of the present disclosure, methods, systems, and articles may find particular use in connection with aircraft egress systems. However, various aspects of the disclosed embodiments may be adapted for optimized performance in a variety of other systems. As such, numerous applications of the present disclosure may be realized.
In various embodiments, it may be desired that a signal from a low energy explosive be transferred to a high energy explosive. Low energy explosives, at times, may experience inconsistent explosive and/or deflagrating input energies which may affect transfer of energy to the high energy explosive. Thus, in various embodiments, low energy explosive transfer systems are provided that may transfer a signal from a low energy explosive to a high energy explosive in a manner than tends to be consistent.
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Upon ignition, low energy explosive transfer line 414 may deflagrate through first frusto-conical area 404, input tube 406, second frusto-conical area 408, and transition tube 410. Deflagration of the low energy explosive transfer line 414 in transition tube 410 may expel heated gases into open volume chamber 412. As the gases expand due to the temperature increase, pressure in open volume chamber 412 may increase and exert a force on first face 102 of firing pin 100. In turn, firing pin 100 may exert a shear force on shear pin 304. Upon reaching a threshold force (for example, approximately 35 lbf (˜155 N) for a single-shear shear pin or 70 lbf (˜310 N) for a double-shear shear pin), shear pin 304 may mechanically fail and firing pin 100 may be released. Pressure in open volume chamber 412 may project firing pin 100 toward primer 300 and nub 106 may impact primer 300. Momentum of firing pin 100 may be stopped by impact of second face 104 on stopping surface 208. Primer 300 may ignite as a result of the impact with nub 106, thereby transferring sparks through output tube 212 and initiator component output 502 to transfer an explosive signal to an output pyrotechnic material or high explosive device or the like.
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A block diagram illustrating a method 600 for transferring a low energy explosive signal is depicted in
Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein with regard to specific embodiments. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in a practical system. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of the disclosure. The scope of the disclosure is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to “at least one of A, B, or C” is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or that any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C. Different cross-hatching is used throughout the figures to denote different parts but not necessarily to denote the same or different materials.
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are provided herein. In the detailed description herein, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “various embodiments”, etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. After reading the description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the disclosure in alternative embodiments.
Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.” As used herein, the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
