The present disclosure relates to a vibration resistant initiator assembly having an exploding foil initiator.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Initiator assemblies are employed to detonate an input charge to release energy that is subsequently employed to initiate detonation, deflagration or combustion in an output charge. There is a trend in the field of initiator assemblies to employ an exploding foil initiator as the means for initiating detonation of the input charge. Electrical energy input to an exploding foil initiator causes a thin metal bridge to vaporize, which propels a flyer through a barrel and into contact with the input charge. The flyer is typically formed of a relatively thin plastic material and must be accelerated over a relatively short distance (i.e., less than 0.050 inch) to a velocity that is sufficient to initiate the detonation of the input charge. Moreover, the flyer must strike the input charge in a manner that is perpendicular to the axis of the barrel to reduce the risk that contact between the flyer and the input charge will initiate detonation of the input charge.
In situations where the initiator assembly is subjected to a relatively large amount of vibration, there is a risk that portions of the output charge will break apart and migrate within the initiator assembly onto the flyer. This situation is detrimental because it greatly increases the risk that the exploding foil initiator will not be able to detonate the input charge. In this regard, if even a relatively small mass of the material that forms the output charge falls onto the flyer, the additional mass could prevent the flyer from being accelerated to a threshold velocity that is needed to cause the input charge to detonate and/or could cause the flyer to tilt relative to the longitudinal axis of the barrel so that the shock produced by contact between the flyer and the input charge is distributed over time (rather than all at once) so that the input charge is not shocked to a degree that initiates detonation of the input charge.
This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
In one form, the present teachings provide an initiator assembly that includes a housing, an exploding foil initiator, an input charge and an output charge. The housing assembly defines an interior cavity. The exploding foil initiator is received in the interior cavity and includes a bridge, a flyer and a barrel. The flyer overlies the bridge and is disposed between the barrel and the bridge. The barrel defines a barrel aperture. The input charge, which is formed of a secondary explosive, is received in the interior cavity and is disposed in-line with the barrel aperture. The output charge assembly is received in the interior cavity and is disposed in-line with the input charge on a side of the input charge that faces away from the exploding foil initiator. The output charge assembly has an output charge and a container. The output charge is formed of a secondary explosive. The container defines a closed volume into which the output charge is received.
In another form, the present teachings provide an initiator assembly that includes a housing assembly, an exploding foil initiator, an input charge and an output charge. The housing assembly defines a first cavity and a second cavity. The exploding foil initiator is received in the first cavity and has a bridge, a flyer and a barrel. The flyer overlies the bridge and is disposed between the barrel and the bridge. The barrel defines a barrel aperture. The input charge is received in the first cavity and is disposed in-line with the barrel aperture. The input charge is formed of a secondary explosive. The output charge is disposed in the second cavity and is formed of a secondary explosive.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
With reference to
The housing assembly 12 can include a header assembly 20 and a cover 22 that can cooperate to define an interior cavity 24 into which the exploding foil initiator 14, the input charge 16 and the output charge assembly 18 can be received. With specific reference to
With specific reference to
With reference to
The output charge assembly 18 can be received in the interior cavity 24 and disposed in-line with the input charge 16 on a side of the input charge 16 that faces away from the exploding foil initiator 14. With reference to
The container 82 can define a closed volume into which the output charge 80 is received. In the example provided, the container 82 comprises a cup portion 90 and a lid portion 92. The cup portion 90 can be formed of a suitable material, such as a plastic or a metal (e.g., aluminum), in a suitable process, such as injection molding for plastics and drawing for metals. The output charge 80 can be received into the cup portion 90 and the lid portion 92 can be fixedly coupled to the cup portion 90 in a desired manner to secure the output charge 80 in the container 82. In the example provided, the lid portion 92 is received into the cup portion 90 over the output charge 80 and the cup portion 90 is deformed in a suitable manner, such as crimping (i.e., to form a crimp 96), to inhibit withdrawal of the lid portion 92 from the cup portion 90 and optionally to fixedly couple the lid portion 92 to the cup portion 90. It will be appreciated that other means may be employed for securing the lid portion 92 to the cup portion 90, including bonding. If desired, a force can be exerted through the container 82 to the output charge 80 during the assembly of the output charge assembly 18 that permits the container 82 to exert a compressive stress onto the output charge 80. The compressive stress could be directed along an axis that is coincident with the longitudinal axis 62 (
With renewed reference to
With reference to the examples of
In the example of
The housing assembly 12c in the example of
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
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Entry |
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U.S. Appl. No. 14/501,656, filed Sep. 30, 2014 entitled: “High G-Force Resistant Initiator Assembly Having An Exploding Foil Initiator”. |