US 11,686,566 B2Granted

Electronic ignition circuit

AssigneeDynaEnergetics Europe GmbH

InventorsAndreas Robert Zemla, Sascha Thieltges, Frank Graziola

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An electronic ignition circuit for use with a fuse head may include a microcontroller, a firing capacitor operably coupled to the fuse head, a voltage measuring circuit operably coupled to the microcontroller and configured to measure a voltage across the firing capacitor, and a switch operably coupled to the microcontroller, the switch being provided in series with the fuse head and a ground. The microcontroller may be configured control the voltage measuring circuit to measure a first voltage across the firing capacitor, actuate the switch to discharge the firing capacitor across the fuse head in response to a firing signal, control the voltage measuring circuit to measure a second voltage across the firing capacitor, and output a shot detection signal based on the first voltage and the second voltage.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An electronic ignition circuit, comprising:

a protection circuit comprising at least one of a fuse, a circuit breaker and an automatic switch;
an input circuit electrically coupled to the protection circuit, the input circuit comprising a bridge rectifier;
a logic circuit electrically coupled to the input circuit, the logic circuit comprising:
a microcontroller;
and
a switching circuit adapted to switch from a first detonator or igniter to a second detonator or igniter in response to a signal from the microcontroller, wherein the switching circuit includes a switch electrically coupled to the protection circuit at a first side of the switch and electrically coupled to the bridge rectifier at a second side of the switch;
and
an ignition circuit electrically coupled to the logic circuit, the ignition circuit comprising a capacitor discharging circuit to discharge a firing capacitor through a fuse head,
wherein the capacitor discharging circuit comprises an ignition switch configured to remain actively closed after the firing capacitor is discharged through the fuse head.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/533,734Filed 23 Nov 2021 · continuation
Priority: 5 Feb 2017
Published: US 2022/0082364 A117 Mar 2022
Granted: 27 Jun 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

F42D 1/05
Arrangements for electric ignition: electric circuits for blasting
F42B 3/122
Initiators with incorporated integrated circuit: programmable electronic delay initiators
F42C 15/40
Arming-means in fuzes; Safety means for preventing premature detonation of fuzes or charges: wherein the safety or arming action is effected…
F42C 15/42
Wherein the safety or arming action is effected electrically: from a remote location, e.g. for controlled mines or mine fields

Family

Application62/454,841Us provisional application · filed 5 Feb 2017
Application15/499,439Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Apr 2017
Application15/880,153Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Jan 2018
US 9,915,513 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Mar 2018
Application16/776,977Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Jan 2020
US 10,605,578 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 31 Mar 2020
US 2022/0082364 A1Pre-grant publication · published 17 Mar 2022
US 11,215,433 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2018/0224260 A1Published application
US 2020/0166321 A1Published application
US 11,686,566 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.