Fuse assembly and method for assembling the same
AssigneeL3Harris Technologies, Inc.
InventorJohn Pierce Burger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuse assembly that includes a low energy exploding foil initiator (LEEFI) located in a housing thereof. The LEEFI is supported in the housing by a sleeve made of a compliant material that protects the LEEFI by dampening shocks and vibrations applied to the housing. At least a portion of the LEEFI is press-fit into the sleeve such that an interference fit exists between an outer cylindrical wall of the LEEFI casing and in inner wall of the housing. The sleeve includes a latch assembly at one end having a plurality of tabs that are circumferentially spaced-apart from one another. Each of the plurality of tabs includes a cantilever beam having a head, the head including a bottom surface pressed against a top surface of the external annular flange of the LEEFI casing.
Claims18
A fuse assembly comprising:
- a low energy exploding foil initiator that includes a casing with an external annular flange;
- a housing including:
- a through opening defined by an inner wall, the inner wall having an annular groove;
- a first shelf;
- and
- a sleeve disposed between the low energy exploding foil initiator casing and the inner wall of the housing;
- the sleeve including:
- an outer surface that is pressed against the inner wall of the housing;
- an outer annular protrusion that resides in the annular groove of the housing;
- a bottom surface that rests against the first shelf of the housing;
- a shelf on which at least a portion of the external annular flange of the casing rests;
- an upper latch assembly comprising a plurality of tabs that are circumferentially spaced-apart from one another, each of the plurality of tabs including a cantilever beam having a head, the head including a bottom surface pressed against a top surface of the external annular flange of the low energy exploding foil initiator casing.
A method of mounting a low energy exploding foil initiator inside a housing, the method comprising:
- a first insertion process that includes inserting a sleeve into a through opening of the housing, the through opening being defined by an inner wall having an annular groove, the housing further including a first shelf inside the through opening that protrudes radially inward from the inner wall, the sleeve having an outer surface that is caused to press against the inner wall of the housing, and a bottom surface that is caused to rest against the first shelf when the first insertion process is complete, the sleeve further including an outer annular protrusion that is caused to at least partially reside in the annular groove of the housing during the first insertion process;
- and
- a second insertion process that includes inserting a casing of the low energy exploding foil initiator into a through opening of the sleeve so that the sleeve is disposed between the low energy exploding foil initiator casing and the inner wall of the housing, the sleeve including a shelf on which at least a portion of an external annular flange of the casing rests when the second insertion process is complete, the sleeve further including an upper latch assembly comprising a plurality of tabs that are circumferentially spaced-apart from one another, each of the plurality of tabs including a cantilever beam having a head, the head including a bottom surface that is caused to press against a top surface of the external annular flange of the low energy exploding foil initiator casing when the second insertion process is complete.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.