Shock hardened initiator and initiator assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016178333-A1
Application number	US-201514625144-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 18, 2015
Priority date	Feb 7, 2011
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An initiator assembly includes an initiator housing having an initiator cavity and a housing orifice edge. A bridge substrate is positioned within the initiator cavity, the bridge substrate includes a substrate base including a uniform first planar surface and first and second bridge contacts flush with the uniform first planar surface. The first and second bridge contacts form a continuous planar mounting surface. An explosive charge and a flyer plate are within the initiator cavity, the flyer plate interposed between the explosive charge and the bridge substrate. A plunger head is telescopically received in the initiator cavity and includes an anchoring cylinder face having a face perimeter and extends between first and second face ends. The housing orifice edge is anchored to the anchoring cylinder face at a position between the first and second face ends and extends around the face perimeter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An initiator assembly comprising:
an initiator housing including an initiator cavity and a housing orifice edge; a bridge substrate positioned within the initiator cavity, the bridge substrate including:
a substrate base including a uniform first planar surface, and first and second bridge contacts flush with the uniform first planar surface, the first and second bridge contacts coupled at an ionizing bridge, and
wherein the first and second bridge contacts form a continuous planar mounting surface;
an explosive charge within the initiator cavity; a flyer plate within the initiator cavity and interposed between the explosive charge and the bridge substrate; and a plunger head telescopically received in the initiator cavity, the plunger head includes an anchoring cylinder face having a face perimeter and extending between first and second face ends, the housing orifice edge anchored to the anchoring cylinder face at a position between the first and second face ends and extending around the face perimeter.

2 . The initiator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the telescoping plunger head includes sliding and anchoring configurations:
in the sliding configuration the anchoring cylinder face is slidable along the housing orifice edge between the first and second face ends, and in the anchoring configuration the plunger head is engaged against the bridge substrate at a clamping position and clamps the bridge substrate, the flyer plate and the explosive charge between the plunger head and the initiator housing, and the housing orifice edge is anchored at an anchoring position between the first and second face ends based on the clamping position.

3 . The initiator assembly of claim 2 , wherein the clamping position and the anchoring position based on the clamping position vary according to one or more fill characteristics within the initiator cavity of at least one of the explosive charge, flyer plate and the bridge substrate.

4 . The initiator assembly of claim 3 , wherein the one or more fill characteristics includes at least one of an explosive charge thickness, an explosive charge plane angle, a flyer plate thickness, and a bridge substrate thickness.

5 . The initiator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the anchoring cylinder face tapers from between the first face end and the second face end toward the first face end.

6 . The initiator assembly of claim 5 , wherein the housing orifice edge anchored to the anchoring cylinder face includes the housing orifice edge interference fit with the anchoring cylinder face according to the taper.

7 . The initiator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing orifice edge anchored to the anchoring cylinder face is welded to the anchoring cylinder face at the position between the first and second end faces.

8 . The initiator assembly of claim 1 , wherein an anchor filler is interposed between the housing orifice edge and the anchoring cylinder face at the position between the first and second end faces.

9 . The initiator assembly of claim 1 , wherein a barrel is coupled with the flyer plate, and the flyer plate is coupled along the continuous planar mounting surface and the barrel is coupled along the explosive charge in surface-to-surface contact, respectively.

10 . The initiator assembly of claim 1 comprising a static coupling in surface-to-surface contact between the explosive charge and the continuous planar mounting surface of the bridge substrate according to a chain of surface-to-surface contact between the continuous planar mounting surface, the flyer plate, a barrel and the explosive charge.

11 . An initiator assembly comprising:
an initiator housing including a housing wall extending to a housing orifice edge with an initiator cavity therein; initiator component stack within the initiator cavity; an initiator clamping assembly including:
the housing orifice edge, and
a plunger head telescopically received in the initiator cavity, the plunger head includes an anchoring cylinder face extending between first and second face ends; and
wherein the initiator clamping assembly includes sliding and anchoring configurations:
in the sliding configuration the anchoring cylinder face is slidable along the housing orifice edge between the first and second face ends, and
in the anchoring configuration the plunger head is engaged against the initiator component stack at a clamping position that clamps the initiator component stack between the plunger head and the initiator housing, and the housing orifice edge is anchored on the anchoring cylinder face at an anchoring position between the first and second face ends based on the clamping position.

12 . The initiator assembly of claim 11 , wherein the plunger head includes initiator leads in electrical communication with an ionizing bridge of a bridge substrate within the initiator cavity.

13 . The initiator assembly of claim 11 , wherein the initiator component stack includes:
an explosive charge within the initiator cavity, a flyer plate within the initiator cavity, a barrel within the initiator cavity interposed between the explosive charge and the flyer plate, and a bridge substrate positioned within the initiator cavity, the bridge substrate including an ionizing bridge.

14 . The initiator assembly of claim 13 comprising a static coupling in surface-to-surface contact between the explosive charge and a continuous planar mounting surface of the bridge substrate according to a chain of surface-to-surface contact between the continuous planar mounting surface, the flyer plate, a barrel and the explosive charge.

15 . The initiator assembly of claim 11 , wherein the clamping position and the anchoring position based on the clamping position vary according to one or more fill characteristics of the initiator component stack within the initiator cavity.

16 . The initiator assembly of claim 15 , wherein the one or more fill characteristics includes at least one of an explosive charge thickness, an explosive charge plane angle, a flyer plate thickness, and a bridge substrate thickness.

17 . The initiator assembly of claim 11 , wherein the plunger head tapers from between the first face end and the second face end toward the first face end, and the housing orifice edge anchored on the anchoring cylinder face includes the housing orifice edge interference fit with the anchoring cylinder face according to the taper.

18 . The initiator assembly of claim 11 , wherein housing orifice edge anchored on the anchoring cylinder face includes a weld between the first and second end faces.

19 . A method of assembling an initiator comprising:
loading an initiator housing with an initiator component stack, the initiator component stack loaded within an initiator cavity; slidably positioning a plunger head within the initiator cavity; and clamping the initiator component stack between the initiator housing and the plunger head, clamping including:
engaging the plunger head against the initiator component stack at a clamping position to press the initiator component stack between the initiator housing and the plunger head, and
anchoring the initiator housing to the plunger head with the plunger head at the clamping position, anchoring including fixing a housing orifice edge of the initiator housing at an anchoring position between first and second face ends of an anchoring cylinder face of the plunger head, the anchoring position based on the clamping position.

20 . The method o

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Biggs Bradley
• Bonbrake Timothy B
• Budy George Darryl
• Schott Christopher

Classifications

• F42B3/124 Primary

  characterised by the configuration or material of the bridge (F42B3/13 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F42C19/02

  Fuze bodies; Fuze housings · CPC title

• F42C9/00

  Time fuzes; Combined time and percussion or pressure-actuated fuzes; Fuzes for timed self-destruction of ammunition · CPC title

• F42B3/125

  characterised by the configuration of the bridge initiator case (F42B3/11 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F42C14/00

  {Mechanical} fuzes characterised by the ammunition class or type (F42C1/00, {F42C7/00, F42C9/00, F42C11/001}, F42C13/00, F42C15/00 take precedence) · CPC title