Time delay systems, methods, and devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11662191-B2
Application number	US-202117359359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2021
Priority date	Jun 25, 2021
Publication date	May 30, 2023
Grant date	May 30, 2023

Abstract

A spring damper system for a pyrotechnic time delay may comprise: a piston; a firing pin; a hydraulic chamber, a portion of the piston disposed in the hydraulic chamber; and a first spring configured to compress in response to a time delay sequence being initiated, the piston configured to translate axially in the first axial direction in response to the first spring returning axially towards a neutral state, the first engagement end and the second engagement end configured to release in response to exiting the channel, and the firing pin configured to translate in the second axial direction in response to a second spring returning towards a second neutral state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spring damper system for a pyrotechnic time delay, comprising:
a piston having a piston head, a first rod extending in a first axial direction from the piston head, and a second rod extending in a second axial direction from the piston head, the second axial direction opposite the first axial direction, a first end of the second rod including a first engagement end;
a firing pin comprising a head and a third rod extending axially from the head in the first axial direction, a second end of the third rod comprising a second engagement end, the second engagement end releasably coupled to the first engagement end in a channel, the channel configured to maintain engagement between the first engagement end and the second engagement end;
a hydraulic chamber, the piston head disposed in the hydraulic chamber; and
a first spring configured to compress in response to a time delay sequence being initiated, the piston configured to translate axially in the first axial direction in response to the first spring returning axially towards a neutral state, the first engagement end and the second engagement end configured to release in response to exiting the channel, and the firing pin configured to translate in the second axial direction in response to a second spring returning towards a second neutral state.

2. The spring damper system of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure plate disposed in a first chamber, the pressure plate configured to travel axially in the first chamber in the second axial direction, compress the first spring, and couple to the first rod in response to being receiving an axial force.

3. The spring damper system of claim 2 , wherein the piston configured to translate in the first axial direction in response to the first spring extending in the first axial direction.

4. The spring damper system of claim 1 , wherein the first spring is configured to compress in the second axial direction and the second spring is configured to compress in the first axial direction.

5. The spring damper system of claim 1 , further comprising a release chamber, wherein the release chamber has a first diameter greater than a second diameter of the channel.

6. The spring damper system of claim 5 , wherein the first engagement end and the second engagement end enters the release chamber in response to exiting the channel.

7. The spring damper system of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic chamber includes a working fluid.

8. The spring damper system of claim 7 , wherein the piston head travels axially in the hydraulic chamber through the working fluid.

9. The spring damper system of claim 8 wherein the working fluid travels through the piston head from a first side of the piston head to a second side of the piston head.

10. An inert time delay device, comprising:
a housing having a first axial end and a second axial end;
an ignition disposed at the first axial end;
a primer disposed at the second axial end;
a spring damper system disposed in the housing, the spring damper system comprising:
a first spring disposed in a first chamber of the housing, the first chamber extending axially in a first axial direction from the ignition towards the second axial end;
a second spring disposed in a second chamber of the housing, the second chamber extending axially in a second axial direction from the primer towards the first axial end;
a piston comprising a piston head disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber; and
a firing pin releasably coupled to the piston, the piston configured to travel axially in the second axial direction in response to the first spring returning from a first compressed state towards a first neutral state, the firing pin configured to disengage from the piston in response to a first engagement end of the piston and a second engagement end of the firing pin exiting a channel, the firing pin configured to travel axially in the first axial direction in response to the second spring returning from a second compressed state towards a second neutral state and initiating the primer.

11. The inert time delay device of claim 10 , further comprising a hydraulic chamber disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber.

12. The inert time delay device of claim 11 , wherein the piston head is disposed in the hydraulic chamber.

13. The inert time delay device of claim 10 , further comprising a pressure plate spaced apart from the ignition.

14. The inert time delay device of claim 13 , wherein the pressure plate is configured to couple to the piston in response to travelling axially in the first axial direction and engaging a rod of the piston.

15. The inert time delay device of claim 14 , wherein the first spring is compressed in response to the pressure plate travelling axially in the first axial direction.

16. The inert time delay device of claim 10 , further comprising a release chamber, the first engagement end and the second engagement end disposed in the channel, the first engagement end and the second engagement end configured to release in response to entering the release chamber from the channel.

17. A method of using an inert time delay device, the method comprising:
receiving, via the inert time delay device, a pressure in a first chamber in response to an ignition being activated;
compressing, via a pressure plate in the inert time delay device, a first spring in a first axial direction in response to the pressure;
translating, via a piston in the inert time delay device, in a second axial direction in response to the first spring returning towards a first neutral state;
translating, via engagement between the piston and a firing pin in the inert time delay device, the firing pin in the second axial direction;
compressing, via a head of the firing pin in the inert time delay device, a second spring in response to translating the firing pin in the second axial direction;
releasing a first engagement end of the piston from a second engagement end of the firing pin in response to the first engagement end and the second engagement end exiting a channel into a release chamber;
translating the firing pin in the first axial direction in response to the second spring returning towards a second neutral state; and
igniting, via the firing pin in the inert time delay device, a primer in response to the firing pin contacting the primer.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein a piston head of the piston travels axially through a hydraulic chamber in response to translating in the second axial direction.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising coupling the pressure plate to a rod of the piston prior to translating the piston in the second axial direction.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the release chamber has a first diameter that is greater than a second diameter of the channel.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Salois Matthew D
• Interiano Luis G

Classifications

• F42C9/06 Primary

  by flow of fluent material, e.g. shot, fluids · CPC title

• F42D1/04

  Arrangements for ignition {(ignition systems for shaped charge perforators E21B43/1185; ignition devices for seismic energy generators G01V1/06)} · CPC title

• F42B3/16 Primary

  {Pyrotechnic} delay initiators (F42B3/195 takes precedence; {programmable electronic delay initiators F42C11/065}) · CPC title

• F42C7/12

  Percussion fuzes of the double-action type, i.e. fuzes cocked and fired in a single movement, e.g. by pulling an incorporated percussion pin or hammer (percussion caps F42C19/10) · CPC title