Wireless detonation system, wireless detonation method, and detonator and explosive unit used in same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9709373-B2
Application number	US-201314759531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2013
Priority date	Jan 8, 2013
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A wireless detonator is provided with: a detonation part; a control part for igniting the detonation part, the control part being connected to the detonation part; a tube for accommodating the detonation part and the control part; and a detonation-side antenna used by the control part for wireless communication and capable of being used for sending and receiving without separately having a transmission-only antenna and a reception-only antenna; the detonation-side antenna being a soft magnetic body coil antenna, and the control part receiving, via the detonation-side antenna, a transmission signal at an operating frequency of 100-500 KHz.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wireless initiating detonator comprising:
an initiator;
a controller connected to the initiator, and including an electric power storage unit capable of storing electric power for igniting the initiator;
a shell housing the initiator and the controller therein; and
a detonator antenna used by the controller for wireless communication, and useable for both signal transmission and signal reception without an antenna only for signal transmission and an antenna only for signal reception being separately provided, wherein the detonator antenna is a soft magnetic coil antenna, and wherein the controller receives a transmission signal with an operation frequency via the detonator antenna, and converts the transmission signals into electric power in order to supply electric power for use in the controller and store electric power in the electric power storage unit, the operation frequency being a frequency which is greater than or equal to 100 kHz and is less than or equal to 500 kHz.

2. The wireless initiating detonator according to claim 1 , wherein the detonator antenna is installed on an axis of a shell while being in contact with the shell, or is installed around the shell while being in contact with the shell.

3. The wireless initiating detonator according to claim 1 , wherein the detonator antenna is located in such a manner as to be oriented in a predetermined direction via a leading wire without being in contact with the shell.

4. The wireless initiating detonator according to claim 1 , wherein a display device is attached to the wireless initiating detonator directly or via a cable, and displays individual pieces of information by which the wireless initiating detonator can be identified.

5. An explosive unit that includes the wireless initiating detonator according to claim 1 , and a primary charge which is an explosive, wherein the wireless initiating detonator is attached to the primary charge, wherein when the display device is attached to the wireless initiating detonator via a cable, a length of the cable is set such that the display device can reach an outside of the blast hole when the explosive unit is charged into the blast hole drilled into a blasting face.

6. A wireless initiation system comprising:
the explosive unit according to claim 5 ;
a blasting controller disposed at a remote position away from the blast hole, and configured to be able to wirelessly transmit the transmission signal to the wireless initiating detonator and to wirelessly receive a response signal from the wireless initiating detonator; and
a blasting controller antenna used by the blasting controller for wireless communication, and useable for both signal transmission and signal reception without an antenna only for signal transmission and an antenna only for signal reception being separately provided, wherein the blasting controller antenna has a substantial loop shape, wherein when the controller receives the transmission signal from the blasting controller, the controller prepares a response signal corresponding to the received transmission signal, and transmits the prepared response signal with a response frequency higher than the operation frequency via the detonator antenna, and wherein the response frequency is set to a frequency corresponding to a wavelength longer than a loop length of the blasting controller antenna.

7. The wireless blast initiation system according to claim 6 , wherein the response frequency exceeds the operation frequency, and is less than or equal to 10 MHz.

8. A wireless initiation method for blasting using the explosive unit according to claim 5 , and a blasting controller configured to wirelessly transmit a transmission signal to the wireless initiating detonator and to wirelessly receive a response signal from the wireless initiating detonator, the method comprising:
a step of drilling the blast hole in the blasting face;
a step of charging the explosive unit into the blast hole;
a step of extending a blasting controller antenna in a substantial loop shape at a position a predetermined distance away from the blasting face, the blasting controller antenna being used by the blasting controller for wireless communication, and a length of the blasting controller antenna being set shorter than a wavelength corresponding to a response frequency of the response signal;
a step of transmitting a preparation start signal with an operation frequency, greater than or equal to 100 kHz, and less than or equal to 500 kHz, from the blasting controller via the blasting controller antenna, the preparation start transmission signal causing the wireless initiating detonator to prepare for blast initiation;
a step of starting a preparation of initiation using the controller when the preparation start signal is received via the detonator antenna;
a step of transmitting a preparation completion signal with the response frequency, exceeding the operation frequency corresponding to a wavelength longer than the length of the blasting controller antenna, and less than or equal to 10 MHz, from the controller to the blasting controller via the detonator antenna when preparation is completed, the preparation completion signal being a response signal indicative of the completion of preparation;
a step of transmitting an initiation execution signal, which is a transmission signal indicative of an execution of blast initiation, from the blasting controller when the preparation completion signal is received via the blasting controller antenna; and
a step of igniting the initiator and initiating the detonator and the primary charge using the controller when the initiation execution signal is received via the detonator antenna.

9. The wireless initiation method according to claim 8 , wherein when the display device is attached to the wireless initiating detonator via the cable with a length such that the display device can reach an outside of the blast hole, the primary charge is charged into the blast hole in such a manner that the display device can reach the outside of the blast hole.

Assignees

• Nof Corp

Inventors

• HIKONE Satoshi
• Tasaki Yoji

Classifications

• F42D1/045

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

• F42C13/04 Primary

  operated by radio waves · CPC title