Retention clips for safety mechanisms of illumination flares and safety mechanisms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9829288-B2
Application number	US-201514857207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2015
Priority date	Sep 17, 2015
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

Retention clips for safety mechanisms of illumination flares include an abutment surface configured for abutment of an end of a rigid sleeve coupled to an igniter initiation cable and one or more protrusions configured to extend at least partially over a lateral side surface of the rigid sleeve when the rigid sleeve is retained by the clip. Safety mechanisms, illumination flares, and methods for igniting illumination flares involve such retention clips.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A retention clip for a safety mechanism of an illumination flare comprising:
an abutment surface configured for abutment of an end of a rigid sleeve coupled to an igniter initiation cable;
a central recess comprising an inner recess and an outer recess, the inner recess being recessed farther from a top surface of the retention clip than the outer recess, wherein the abutment surface at least partially defines an outer end of the inner recess proximate the outer recess; and
one or more protrusions configured to extend at least partially over a lateral side surface of the rigid sleeve when the rigid sleeve is retained by the retention clip,
wherein the one or more protrusions are configured to, upon a sufficient force on the igniter initiation cable, alter in structural integrity sufficiently to enable the rigid sleeve to move laterally such that the end of the rigid sleeve moves out of abutment with the abutment surface of the retention clip.

2. The retention clip of claim 1 , wherein the sufficient force is at least about 10 lbf.

3. The retention clip of claim 1 , wherein the abutment surface comprises a planar surface with at least one arcuate edge.

4. The retention clip of claim 3 , wherein the abutment surface comprises two arcuate edges, a central portion of the abutment surface being recessed farther from the top surface of the retention clip than outer edges of the abutment surface.

5. The retention clip of claim 1 , wherein the abutment surface has a width that is substantially the same as a wall thickness of the rigid sleeve.

6. The retention clip of claim 1 , further comprising a curved outer surface, a curvature thereof corresponding to a curvature of an outer cylindrical surface of an ignition assembly of the illumination flare.

7. The retention clip of claim 1 , wherein the retention clip comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, magnesium, zinc, and a polymer.

8. The retention clip of claim 7 , wherein the retention clip comprises a polycarbonate polymer.

9. The retention clip of claim 1 , wherein the inner recess is sized and configured for receipt of at least a portion of the rigid sleeve and the outer recess is sized and configured for providing clearance for the igniter initiation cable extending from a longitudinal end of the rigid sleeve.

10. The retention clip of claim 1 , wherein the one or more protrusions are positioned proximate the inner recess.

11. The retention clip of claim 1 , wherein the one or more protrusions comprise two opposing protrusions, each of the two opposing protrusions configured to at least partially extend over the lateral side surface of the rigid sleeve.

12. The retention clip of claim 1 , wherein the one or more protrusions comprise a single protrusion extending over the rigid sleeve, the single protrusion being configured to release the rigid sleeve upon application of the sufficient force on the igniter initiation cable.

13. A safety mechanism for an illumination flare, the safety mechanism comprising:
a rigid sleeve coupled to an igniter initiation cable and to a slider of the illumination flare, the rigid sleeve comprising an outer longitudinal end surface and a lateral side surface; and
a retention clip coupled to an igniter cap of the illumination flare, the retention clip comprising:
an abutment surface against which the outer longitudinal end surface of the rigid sleeve abuts in an initial position; and
one or more protrusions extending at least partially over the lateral side surface of the rigid sleeve when the rigid sleeve is retained by the retention clip,
wherein the one or more protrusions are configured to, upon a sufficient force on the igniter initiation cable, alter in structural integrity sufficiently to enable the rigid sleeve to move laterally such that the end of the rigid sleeve moves out of abutment with the abutment surface of the retention clip.

14. The safety mechanism of claim 13 , wherein the retention clip further comprises a first side protrusion and a second side protrusion configured for coupling the retention clip to the igniter cap.

15. The safety mechanism of claim 14 , wherein the first side protrusion and the second side protrusion of the retention clip are disposed within retention slots of the igniter cap and the retention clip is secured to the igniter cap using at least one of a screw, a weld, or an adhesive.

16. The safety mechanism of claim 13 , wherein the rigid sleeve comprises an aluminum material.

17. The safety mechanism of claim 13 , wherein the one or more protrusions comprises two protrusions each extending over the lateral side surface of the rigid sleeve at least about 10° above a diameter of the rigid sleeve.

18. The safety mechanism of claim 13 , wherein the retention clip is integrally molded with the igniter cap, such that the retention clip constitutes a portion of the igniter cap.

19. The safety mechanism of claim 13 , wherein the rigid sleeve comprises a rigid tube configured to resist axial compression thereof.

20. The safety mechanism of claim 13 , wherein the rigid sleeve includes at least one circumferential recess configured to facilitate alteration of structural integrity of the rigid sleeve in a lateral direction upon application of the sufficient force on the igniter initiation cable.

Assignees

• Orbital Atk Inc

Inventors

• Thompson Mark A
• Robbins Steven M
• Geslin Michael

Classifications

• F42B4/28 Primary

  Parachute flares (F42B4/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F42C7/00

  Fuzes actuated by application of a predetermined mechanical force, e.g. tension, torsion, pressure (by ammunition impact F42C1/00, by exposure to a predetermined ambient fluid pressure F42C5/00) · CPC title