Actuation mechanism for actuating a device and method for actuating a device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12085376-B2
Application number	US-202217878701-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2022
Priority date	Dec 30, 2018
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A method of actuating a device, the method including: allowing a movable mass to move back and forth in a first portion of a passage upon the device experiencing a first acceleration profile having a first magnitude and a first duration; and allowing the movable mass to move to a second portion of the passage to actuate the device upon the device experiencing a second acceleration profile having a second acceleration lower than the first acceleration and a second duration greater than the first duration. The device can be one of an inertial igniter, a normally open latching electrical circuit, a normally open non-latching electrical circuit, a normally closed latching electrical circuit or a normally closed non-latching electrical circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuating mechanism for actuating a device, the actuating mechanism comprising:
a base;
a passage having an inclined portion and an actuating portion connected to the inclined portion, the inclined portion extending in a first direction offset at an angle relative to a second direction in which the actuating portion extends;
a movable mass disposed in the passage;
a spring for biasing a first surface of the movable mass against a second surface of the inclined portion of the passage when the base is not being accelerated; and
a member having a first portion disposed in the actuating portion of the passage, the first portion being configured to contact the movable mass in the actuating portion of the passage to move the first portion of the member, the member having a second portion outside the actuating portion of the passage, the second portion being connected to the first portion and movable upon movement of the first portion;
wherein the passage, the movable mass and the spring are configured to maintain the movable mass in the inclined portion of the passage upon the base experiencing a first acceleration profile having a first magnitude and a first duration and allow the mass to move to the actuating portion of the passage upon the base experiencing a second acceleration profile having a second acceleration lower than the first acceleration and a second duration greater than the first duration; and
the second portion of the member is configured to actuate the device upon movement of the second portion, the device being one of an inertial igniter, a normally open latching electrical circuit, a normally open non-latching electrical circuit, a normally closed latching electrical circuit or a normally closed non-latching electrical circuit.

2. The actuating mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the member is movable in rotation.

3. The actuating mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the member and the movable mass are configured such that, after the movable mass contacts the first portion of the member in the actuating portion of the passage, the movable mass passes the first portion of the member upon the base experiencing the second acceleration profile and the first portion of the member blocks the movable mass from returning to the inclined portion of the passage.

4. An actuating mechanism for actuating a device, the actuating mechanism comprising:
a base;
a passage having an inclined portion and an actuating portion connected to the inclined portion, the inclined portion extending in a first direction offset at an angle relative to a second direction in which the actuating portion extends;
a movable mass disposed in the passage;
a first spring for biasing a first surface of the movable mass against a second surface of the inclined portion of the passage when the base is not being accelerated; and
a member having a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, the first portion configured to contact the movable mass in the actuating portion of the passage to move the first portion of the member, the movable mass having a second portion movable with movement of the first portion, the first portion and the second portion being disposed in the actuating portion of the passage, the third portion being disposed outside of the actuation portion of the passage and movable with the movement of the first and second portions, the third portion being configured to guide the movement of the first portion and the second portion along the actuation portion of the passage;
wherein the passage, the movable mass and the spring are configured to maintain the movable mass in the inclined portion of the passage upon the base experiencing a first acceleration profile having a first magnitude and a first duration and allow the mass to move to the actuating portion of the passage upon the base experiencing a second acceleration profile having a second acceleration lower than the first acceleration and a second duration greater than the first duration; and
the second portion of the member is configured to actuate the device upon movement of the second portion, the device being one of an inertial igniter, a normally open latching electrical circuit, a normally open non-latching electrical circuit, a normally closed latching electrical circuit or a normally closed non-latching electrical circuit.

5. The actuating mechanism of claim 4 , wherein the member is movable in translation.

6. The actuating mechanism of claim 4 , wherein the spring is a first spring, the actuating mechanism further comprising a second spring for biasing the second portion member away from the device.

Assignees

• Omnitek Partners Llc

Inventors

• Rastegar Jahangir S
• Fischer Jacques

Classifications

• F42C15/24 Primary

  wherein the safety or arming action is effected by inertia means (F42C15/196, F42C15/20 take precedence) · CPC title