Pyrotechnic actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10012245-B2
Application number	US-201515509594-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2015
Priority date	Sep 9, 2014
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

A pyrotechnic actuator includes a body, and a propelling system including a pyrotechnic igniter mounted inside the body. The pyrotechnic igniter is mounted inside the body such that a peripheral gap is formed between the body and the pyrotechnic igniter and the propelling system further includes a sealing gasket arranged inside the gap in such a manner that the pyrotechnic igniter is maintained in position with respect to the body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pyrotechnic actuator comprising:
a body,
a piston slidably mounted inside the body along a longitudinal direction, and
a propelling system comprising a pyrotechnic igniter mounted inside said body and adapted to propel said piston,
the pyrotechnic igniter being mounted inside the body such that a peripheral gap is formed between the body and the pyrotechnic igniter, and the propelling system further comprises a sealing gasket arranged inside the peripheral gap, the sealing gasket being compressed inside the peripheral gap in a direction substantially perpendicular to a main axis of the pyrotechnic igniter such that the pyrotechnic igniter is maintained in position with respect to the body,
wherein the pyrotechnic igniter and the sealing gasket are disposed in a first recess formed in a wall of the body, and wherein the body has a peripheral recess surrounding the first recess, and wherein the piston is provided with a skirt formed on a first side facing the pyrotechnic igniter, the skirt being mounted in said peripheral recess when the piston is in an initial position.

2. The pyrotechnic actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the peripheral gap extends around a main axis and is delimited by an internal face of the body substantially parallel to said main axis, and the sealing gasket arranged inside the peripheral gap contacts said internal face of the body.

3. The pyrotechnic actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the peripheral gap extends around the main axis.

4. The pyrotechnic actuator according to claim 3 , wherein the piston comprises a blocking system adapted to block the propelling system in the longitudinal direction when the piston is in the initial position.

5. The pyrotechnic actuator according to claim 4 , wherein the blocking system comprises at least one blocking part configured to cooperate with the pyrotechnic igniter in a shape-fitting manner when the piston is in the initial position.

6. The pyrotechnic actuator according to claim 4 , wherein the blocking system comprises at least one blocking part configured to be inserted in the peripheral gap to block the sealing gasket when the piston is in the initial position.

7. The pyrotechnic actuator according to claim 3 , further comprising:
an engagement system configured to releasably attach the piston with respect to the body in the initial position.

8. The pyrotechnic actuator according to claim 7 , wherein the engagement system comprises:
at least a second recess formed on one of: a first external face of the piston, and a first internal face of the body, and
at least a bulge formed on a second external face of the piston and a second internal face of the body, the second recess and the bulge being adapted to engage each other to block the piston with respect to the body in the longitudinal direction.

9. The pyrotechnic actuator according to claim 3 , wherein the piston has a cylindrical shape having a longitudinal axis, and the pyrotechnic actuator further comprising:
an indexing system for indexing the piston with respect to the body in a defined angular position around the longitudinal axis.

10. The pyrotechnic actuator according to claim 9 , wherein the indexing system comprises:
at least one slit formed on one of the piston and the body, and
at least one corresponding rib formed on the other of the piston and the body, the at least one slit and the at least one corresponding rib being configured to cooperate in the defined angular position of the piston.

11. The pyrotechnic actuator according to claim 3 , wherein the piston includes an external face and the piston comprises on said external face a groove in which is arranged a second sealing gasket, and a calibrated passage adapted to evacuate gas is formed between the second sealing gasket and a wall of said groove.

12. The pyrotechnic actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing gasket being stationary relative to the body and the pyrotechnic igniter.

13. The pyrotechnic actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing gasket is configured to provide a sealing between the pyrotechnic igniter and the body.

14. The pyrotechnic actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing gasket is configured to provide a sealing function and a holding function for the pyrotechnic igniter.

15. The pyrotechnic actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the pyrotechnic igniter is maintained in position with respect to the body via sealing gasket such that no further holding means are needed.

16. The pyrotechnic actuator according to claim 15 , wherein the further holding means comprise bonding means.

17. The pyrotechnic actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing gasket being compressed inside the peripheral gap in the direction substantially perpendicular to the main axis of the pyrotechnic igniter comprises the sealing gasket being radially compressed between an internal face of the first recess and an external face of the pyrotechnic igniter.

Assignees

• Airbus Safran Launchers Sas
• Arianegroup Sas

Inventors

• Nadeau Jean-Paul
• Marlin Frédéric

Classifications

• F15B15/19 Primary

  Pyrotechnical actuators · CPC title

• F15B15/20

  Other details {, e.g. assembly with regulating devices} · CPC title

• F42B3/26

  Arrangements for mounting initiators; Accessories therefor, e.g. tools · CPC title