Pneumatic time delay valve

Abstract

A pneumatic time delay valve primarily adapted for use in the ejection system of electronic or optical countermeasure devices and the like wherein an explosive squib is employed to create a momentary charge of high pressure gas used to depress the firing pin on the device to activate the device and also to push the device out of an ejection tube. The invention comprises means for splitting the pressurized gas into a first conduit communicating with the firing pin and a second conduit communicating with the device to apply the ejection pressure thereon and a time delay valve disposed within the second conduit for delaying the application of the gas to the device. During the time delay period, a piston is forced down a cylindrical bore forcing metering fluid through an orifice. At the end of the time delay period, the metering fluid is allowed to bypass the piston, causing the piston to move rapidly to open an outlet port putting the pressurized gas virtually instantaneously in communication with the device to force it out of the launch tube.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.