Claims
- 1. A pyrotechnic ignition system comprising:
- a magazine for receiving at least one pyrotechnic device;
- a base;
- a platform moveably secured to the base and having first and second positions;
- at least one pyrotechnic device engaging contact secured to the base, said at least one contact and platform being arranged so that when the platform is displaced from the first position to the second position, said at least one contact ohmically engages said at least one pyrotechnic device; and
- latch means for latching the magazine to the base and for displacing the platform to said second position during said latching so that said at least one contact engages the received at least one device.
- 2. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one pyrotechnic device comprises an array of devices, said magazine including means for receiving said array of devices, said at least one contact comprising an array of contacts arranged so that each contact of the array of contacts corresponds to a different device in said array of devices.
- 3. The system of claim 2 including a plurality of said magazines and a like plurality of said platforms, each platform of said plurality of platforms for receiving a separate different magazine of said plurality of magazines.
- 4. The system of claim 3 including ignition means for igniting a selected portion of said received devices of all said magazines in a given order.
- 5. The system of claim 4 wherein said order comprises a plurality of device ignition points in a sequence each point corresponding to the ignition of a device, said sequence commencing from a beginning to an end, said system including means for interrupting said given order and for selectively commencing the ignition of said devices at the beginning of said given order and at the point in the sequence where the order is interrupted.
- 6. The system of claim 3 wherein each said plurality of magazines is adapted to receive an array of devices, each magazine of said plurality of magazines being dimensioned to receive a different array.
- 7. The system of claim 6 wherein the dimensions of the devices of the different arrays are different.
- 8. A pyrotechnic ignition apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of magazines each for receiving a plurality of pyrotechnic devices, said devices being arranged in a separate different groups;
- support means for releaseably movably resiliently securing said plurality of magazines thereto; and
- circuit means including resilient contacts for movably resiliently engaging the received devices, said circuit means being coupled to the support means for selectively igniting said devices in at least one of said plurality of different groups, each group being ignited in a given corresponding group order regardless the number of magazines in said plurality of magazines that are secured to the support means.
- 9. A pyrotechnic device ignition apparatus comprising:
- a magazine for releaseably receiving at least one pyrotechnic device;
- a base;
- a plurality of spaced electrical contacts;
- means for resiliently securing each of the contacts to the base; and
- means for movably securing the magazine to the base so that at least one of said plurality of contacts ohmically resiliently engages the at least one received device in a contact engaged position in response to and while the magazine is moved during said securing;
- the means for movably securing including means for securing the magazine in a first position in which the received at least one device is ohmically spaced from the at least one of said plurality of contacts and for securing the magazine in a second contact engaging position in which the at least one contact is ohmically engaged with the received at least one device and further including latch means coupled to the base for releaseably securing the magazine in said first and second positions.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the means for movably securing includes alignment means coupled to the base for aligning the at least one received device with the at least one of said plurality of contacts in the ohmically engaged position.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the contacts have an axial extent in a first direction, said means for movably securing including means for displacing the magazine and received device substantially in said first direction to resiliently displace said at least one of said plurality of contacts substantially in said first direction.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the means for resiliently securing includes a plurality of bodies fixed to said base in spaced relationship and a like plurality of corresponding springs, each spring of said plurality of springs being secured to a different body of said plurality of bodies, each contact being secured to a different spring and body such that the at least one said contact resiliently displaces when ohmically engaged in the contact engaged position.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the means for movably securing the magazine includes platform means movably secured to the base and arranged to abut the magazine in the first and second positions.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the means for movably securing includes alignment means coupled to the base and magazine for aligning the received device with the at least one said contact in said first and second positions.
- 15. A pyrotechnic ignition apparatus comprising:
- at least one magazine for releaseably receiving a plurality of pyrotechnic devices arranged in a plurality of groups;
- support means including alignment means for movably securing and aligning thereto said at least one magazine and the received group of devices; and
- circuit means including contact means resiliently coupled to the support means for igniting a selected group of said aligned received devices in said plurality of groups of devices, said circuit means including means for igniting the devices of each group in a separate given corresponding order regardless the arrangement of the devices in the at least one magazine.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 15 including latch means coupled to the support means for latching the at least one magazine to the support means.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the latch means includes means for movably displacing the at least one of the magazines and received devices into a contact engaging condition with said contact means from a non-contact engaging position.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the contact means includes electrical contacts, the means for movably displacing includes means for precluding engagement of the received devices with the contacts in a first magazine position and for engaging the devices and contacts in a second magazine position while the at least one magazine is coupled to the support means.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the support means includes a housing, said alignment means being coupled to the housing and including means for releaseably securing the at least one secured magazine to the housing.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the support means and said alignment means includes means for securing a plurality of said magazines thereto at the same time.
- 21. In a pyrotechnic apparatus for securing a pyrotechnic receiving magazine thereto and for igniting pyrotechnic devices received in the magazine, the combination comprising:
- a housing defining a cavity having an opening in communication with the ambient atmosphere and including means for receiving said magazine juxtaposed with said opening;
- circuit means in said cavity for electrically igniting said devices;
- circuit board means for enclosing said opening and coupled to said circuit means; and
- an array of resilient contacts secured to said circuit board means for simultaneously engaging said received devices of said received magazine, each contact for resiliently ohmically engaging a different one of said received pyrotechnic devices.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said circuit board means is hermetically sealed to said housing.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said circuit board means comprises an electrically insulating board with a plurality of electrical conductors thereon, each conductor being ohmically connected to a separate different contact of said array and to said circuit means.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said contacts are hermetically sealed to said circuit board means.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the housing includes means for movably securing and aligning the magazine to the housing overlying said contacts.
- 26. In a pyrotechnic apparatus including a housing defining an interior volume having an opening in communication with the ambient atmosphere; circuit means in said interior volume for electrically igniting pyrotechnic devices; closure means for enclosing said opening and an array of contacts secured to said closure means and coupled to the circuit means, said contacts for simultaneously engaging said received devices, the combination comprising:
- a pyrotechnic device receiving magazine having opposite first and second sides and a plurality of device receiving cylindrical cavities, each cavity for releaseably receiving a separate different device and extending through the magazine along an axis in communication with said opposite sides;
- a plurality of flanges extending radially inwardly toward said axis secured to the magazine, each said flange overlying a different corresponding one of said cavities at the first of said sides, each said flange having an opening therein overlying the cavity and of smaller transverse area relative to the axis than the transverse area of the corresponding cavity; and
- means for securing the magazine to said housing so that the second side abuts said closure means with each said contact in alignment with a different device receiving cavity.
- 27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein each said device has a circular cylindrical body and an enlarged annular flange at one device body end, said magazine having an enlarged opening at said second side circumferentially extending about each said cavity for receiving said enlarged annular device flange.
- 28. The apparatus of claim 26 including device retaining means secured to said magazine in communication with each said cavity for resiliently retaining a pyrotechnic device in each said cavity.
- 29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said housing includes first latch means, said magazine including second latch means arranged to mate with and engage the first latch means.
- 30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the closure means comprises a platform resiliently movably secured to said housing, said magazine body second,side,for abutting said platform, said first and second latch means for displacing said magazine and platform when abutting.
- 31. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said magazine has opposite third and fourth sides lying in planes normal to the first and second sides, said third and fourth sides including recesses therein for manually gripping the magazine body.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 877,809 filed May 4, 1992 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,094 which is a division of application Ser. No. 419,549 filed Oct. 10, 1989 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,222.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
958473 |
Mar 1950 |
FRX |
Divisions (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
877809 |
May 1992 |
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Parent |
419549 |
Oct 1989 |
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