Jul 8, 2025

US12352550 - Inertial igniters for low-G and long duration firing acceleration munitions and the like

An inertial mechanism including an activating mechanism and a time delay mechanism coupled to the activating mechanism for delaying a time in which the activating mechanism is activated after a predetermined acceleration profile occurs. Where a coupling of the time delay mechanism with the activating mechanism to activate the activating mechanism initially moves away from the coupling when the predetermined acceleration profile occurs before the coupling occurs after a time delay.

The patent describes an inertial igniter mechanism that incorporates a time delay feature to activate an ignition system after a specified acceleration profile is detected. This mechanism utilizes multiple mass bodies and biasing members to ensure that ignition occurs only after a predetermined delay following the initial acceleration event.

Claim 1

  1. An inertial mechanism comprising: an activating mechanism; and a time delay mechanism coupled to the activating mechanism for delaying a time in which the activating mechanism is activated after a predetermined acceleration profile occurs; the activating mechanism comprising: a first mass body movable between a first position and a second position, the first mass body having a first surface and a second surface; a first biasing member for biasing the first mass body in the first position; a second mass body movable between a third position corresponding to the first position of the first mass body and a fourth position corresponding to the second position of the first mass body, the second mass body having a third surface and a fourth surface engaged with the first surface of the first mass body when the second mass body is in the third position; and a second biasing member for biasing the second mass body in the third position; and the time delay mechanism comprising: a third mass body movable in a direction of acceleration, the third mass body having a fifth surface; a fourth mass body having a sixth surface for engaging with the fifth surface of the third mass body when the third mass body moves from a fifth position to a sixth position upon occurrence of the predetermined acceleration profile, the forth mass body having a seventh surface engaging with the third surface of the second mass body to activate the activating mechanism after a time delay; and a third biasing member for biasing the seventh surface towards engagement with the third surface; wherein the fifth and sixth surfaces are configured such that the fifth surface engaging with the sixth surface upon the occurrence of the predetermined acceleration profile causes the seventh surface to initially move away from engagement with the third surface before moving the seventh surface to engage with the third surface after the time delay; and the second surface of the first mass body is configured to one of: ignite a pyrotechnic upon occurrence of the predetermined acceleration profile; or one of open or close an electrical circuit upon occurrence of the predetermined acceleration profile. an activating mechanism; and a time delay mechanism coupled to the activating mechanism for delaying a time in which the activating mechanism is activated after a predetermined acceleration profile occurs; the activating mechanism comprising: a first mass body movable between a first position and a second position, the first mass body having a first surface and a second surface; a first biasing member for biasing the first mass body in the first position; a second mass body movable between a third position corresponding to the first position of the first mass body and a fourth position corresponding to the second position of the first mass body, the second mass body having a third surface and a fourth surface engaged with the first surface of the first mass body when the second mass body is in the third position; and a second biasing member for biasing the second mass body in the third position; and a first mass body movable between a first position and a second position, the first mass body having a first surface and a second surface; a first biasing member for biasing the first mass body in the first position; a second mass body movable between a third position corresponding to the first position of the first mass body and a fourth position corresponding to the second position of the first mass body, the second mass body having a third surface and a fourth surface engaged with the first surface of the first mass body when the second mass body is in the third position; and a second biasing member for biasing the second mass body in the third position; and the time delay mechanism comprising: a third mass body movable in a direction of acceleration, the third mass body having a fifth surface; a fourth mass body having a sixth surface for engaging with the fifth surface of the third mass body when the third mass body moves from a fifth position to a sixth position upon occurrence of the predetermined acceleration profile, the forth mass body having a seventh surface engaging with the third surface of the second mass body to activate the activating mechanism after a time delay; and a third biasing member for biasing the seventh surface towards engagement with the third surface; wherein the fifth and sixth surfaces are configured such that the fifth surface engaging with the sixth surface upon the occurrence of the predetermined acceleration profile causes the seventh surface to initially move away from engagement with the third surface before moving the seventh surface to engage with the third surface after the time delay; and a third mass body movable in a direction of acceleration, the third mass body having a fifth surface; a fourth mass body having a sixth surface for engaging with the fifth surface of the third mass body when the third mass body moves from a fifth position to a sixth position upon occurrence of the predetermined acceleration profile, the forth mass body having a seventh surface engaging with the third surface of the second mass body to activate the activating mechanism after a time delay; and a third biasing member for biasing the seventh surface towards engagement with the third surface; wherein the fifth and sixth surfaces are configured such that the fifth surface engaging with the sixth surface upon the occurrence of the predetermined acceleration profile causes the seventh surface to initially move away from engagement with the third surface before moving the seventh surface to engage with the third surface after the time delay; and the second surface of the first mass body is configured to one of: ignite a pyrotechnic upon occurrence of the predetermined acceleration profile; or one of open or close an electrical circuit upon occurrence of the predetermined acceleration profile. ignite a pyrotechnic upon occurrence of the predetermined acceleration profile; or one of open or close an electrical circuit upon occurrence of the predetermined acceleration profile.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12352550

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12352550

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