Connectors for separable firing unit assemblies, firing unit assemblies and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9664491-B2
Application number	US-201414519748-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2014
Priority date	Jan 11, 2012
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

Connection cables for separable firing unit assemblies comprise a first mating connector at a first end and a second mating connector at a second, opposing end. A stripline cable electrically connects the first mating connector to the second mating connector. Separable firing unit assemblies comprise an initiation device. An electronics assembly is configured to transmit a firing pulse to the initiation device. One of a first mating connector and a second mating connector is coupled to the initiation device and the other of the first mating connector and the second mating connector is coupled to the electronics assembly. A second housing of the second mating connector is configured to receive a portion of a first housing of the first mating connector therein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A firing unit assembly, comprising:
a connection cable comprising:
a first mating connector configured for removable connection to an initiation device at a first end;
a second mating connector configured for removable connection to an electronics assembly at a second, opposing end; and
a stripline cable coupled to the first mating connector at the first end and coupled to the second mating connector at the second, opposing end, the stripline cable electrically connecting the first mating connector to the second mating connector.

2. The firing unit assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stripline cable is configured to transmit a firing pulse without significant degradation of the firing pulse.

3. The firing unit assembly of claim 2 , wherein an inductance of the stripline cable is 50 nH or less.

4. The firing unit assembly of claim 1 , wherein a length of the stripline cable is between 2 inches (5.08 cm) and 36 inches (91.44 cm).

5. The firing unit assembly of claim 1 , wherein one of the first mating connector and the second mating connector comprises a stripline male interface and the other of the first mating connector and the second mating connector comprises a female spring-loaded interface configured to receive the stripline male interface at least partially into the female spring-loaded interface to form an electrical connection.

6. The firing unit assembly of claim 5 , wherein a pair of dielectric rails flanks the stripline male interface and is configured to receive the female spring-loaded interface between the pair of dielectric rails.

7. The firing unit assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a contact ring disposed in at least one of the first mating connector and the second mating connector configured to ground a housing of the at least one of the first mating connector and the second mating connector to one of the an initiation device and the electronics assembly.

8. The firing unit assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
an initiation device configured to ignite a material; and
an electronics assembly configured to transmit a firing pulse to the initiation device, wherein the first mating connector is removably connected to the initiation device and the second mating connector is removably connected to the electronics assembly.

9. The firing unit assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first mating connector comprises:
a first housing comprising:
a first housing member having an interior surface thereof at least partially defining a first interface recess;
a second housing member at least partially surrounding the first housing member, the first housing member and the second housing member defining an annular recess therebetween; and
a first electrical interface disposed in the first interface recess of the first housing member; and

wherein the second mating connector comprises:
a second housing; and
a second electrical interface disposed in a second interface recess at least partially defined by an interior surface of at least a portion of the second housing.

10. The firing unit assembly of claim 9 , wherein an outer portion of the second housing and the first housing member of the first housing comprise complementary engagement features configured to retain the first mating connector and the second mating connector in cooperative engagement.

11. A method of coupling the firing unit assembly of claim 1 with the connection cable, comprising:
coupling a first mating connector of the initiation device configured to ignite an explosive material to the first mating connector of the connection cable; and
coupling a second mating connector of the electronics assembly configured to transmit a firing pulse to the initiation device to the second mating connector of the connection cable.

12. A firing unit assembly, comprising:
an initiation device configured to ignite a material;
an electronics assembly configured to transmit a firing pulse to the initiation device;
a connection cable comprising:
a first mating connector removably connected to one of the initiation device and the electronics assembly at a first end of the connection cable;
a second mating connector removably connected to the other of the initiation device and the electronics assembly at a second, opposing end of the connection cable; and
a stripline cable extending between and electrically connecting the first mating connector to the second mating connector.

13. The firing unit assembly of claim 12 , wherein a portion of a housing of the first mating connector at least partially surrounding an electrical connector disposed in the first mating connector is received within a portion of the one of the initiation device and the electronics assembly when the second mating connector is coupled to the one of the initiation device and the electronics assembly.

14. The firing unit assembly of claim 13 , wherein a portion of a housing of the second mating connector at least partially surrounding another electrical connector disposed in the second mating connector is received within a portion of the other of the initiation device and the electronics assembly when the second mating connector is coupled to the other of the initiation device and the electronics assembly.

15. The firing unit assembly of claim 12 , wherein the first mating connector comprises:
a first housing comprising:
a first housing member having an interior surface thereof at least partially defining a first interface recess;
a second housing member at least partially surrounding the first housing member, the first housing member and the second housing member defining an annular recess therebetween; and
a first electrical interface disposed in the first interface recess of the first housing member; and

wherein the second mating connector comprises:
a second housing; and
a second electrical interface disposed in a second interface recess at least partially defined by an interior surface of a portion of the second housing, wherein the portion of the second housing at least partially defining the second interface recess is received within the annular recess of the first housing when the first mating connector and the second mating connector are cooperatively engaged.

16. The firing unit assembly of claim 15 , wherein the second housing further comprises an outer member, the outer member at least partially surrounding the portion of the second housing at least partially defining the second interface recess and defines a substantially annular recess between the outer member and the portion of the second housing at least partially defining the second interface recess, the substantially annular recess receiving the first housing member of the first housing when the first mating connector and the second mating connector are cooperatively engaged.

17. A firing unit assembly, comprising:
an initiation device configured to ignite a material;
an electronics assembly configured to transmit a firing pulse to the initiation device; and
a connection cable comprising:
a first mating connector removably connected to a first cooperative mating connector of the initiation device at a first end of the connection cable to form a seal between the first mating connector and the first cooperative mating connector of the initiation device;
a second mating connector removably connected to a second cooperative mating connector of the electronics assembly at a second, opposing end of the connection cable to form a seal between the second mating connector and the second cooperative mating connector of the

Assignees

• Orbital Atk Inc

Inventors

• Devries Derek R
• Madsen Brent D
• Peterson Eldon C
• Jackson Donald L
• Thorup William W

Classifications

• F42C19/06

  Electric contact parts specially adapted for use with electric fuzes {(switches operated by change of speed H01H35/06; switches operated by change of acceleration, e.g. shock or vibration, inertia switches H01H35/14; fluid-pressure-operated switches H01H35/24)} · CPC title

• F42D1/045

  Arrangements for electric ignition (dynamo-electric generators H02K) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49174

  Assembling terminal to elongated conductor · CPC title

• F41A19/69 Primary

  Electric contacts or switches peculiar thereto (F41A19/65 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F42C19/12 Primary

  electric · CPC title