Delay type electric detonator

• US 4,899,658 A
• Filed: 10/07/1988
• Issued: 02/13/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harada Electronics Industry Nishimatsu-Soen BLDG KITA, Nippon Oil and Fats Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Harada Electronics Co., Ltd., Nippon Oil and Fats Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Harada, Masahide, Ochi, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Application Number:
  US07/254,811
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 102/200, 102/202.1, 102/202.2, 102/202.3, 102/202.5, 102/202.14, 102/206, 102/217, 102/218
• US Class Current: 102/206
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/122 Programmable electronic delay initiators
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 21/00 Checking fuzes; Testing fuzes

Abstract

An electric detonator of the delay type including a housing having a metal portion and an insulating portion, a pair of leg wires extending outside through the housing, a delay circuit connected across the leg wires and generating an ignition current at a predetermined timing, and an igniting resistor connected to an output terminal of the delay circuit and one of the leg wires. In order to check the resistance value of the igniting resistor even after the detonator has been assembled, a by-pass resistor is connected between the other of the leg wires and a junction point between the delay circuit and the igniting resistor. A small measuring current is conducted through the igniting resistor via the by-pass resistor to generate a voltage drop across the igniting resistor. This voltage drop is measured by connecting a voltage measuring device between the leg wire and the metal portion of the housing.

Claims

1. A delay type electric detonator comprising:

a pair of leg wires which are connectable to a bus wire connected to an electric blaster;

a delay circuit connected across the leg wires and generating at an output terminal an igniting current at a predetermined time;

an igniting resistor connected across the output of the delay circuit and one of the leg wires, and igniting the detonator when said igniting current passes through the igniting resistor; and

by-pass means connected between the other of the leg wires and the igniting resistor and conducting a measuring current through the igniting resistor, said measuring current being smaller than said igniting current;

whereby a terminal voltage generated across the igniting resistor by flowing the measuring current through the igniting resistor is measurable from the exterior of the detonator.

2. A detonator according to claim 1, wherein said by-pass means comprises a resistor.

3. A detonator according to claim 2, wherein said resistor has such a resistance value that the measuring current flowing through the igniting resistor is made smaller than 10 mA.

4. A detonator according to claim 3, wherein said resistor has a resistance value of 470 kΩ

.

5. A detonator according to claim 1, wherein said by-pass means comprises a constant current element.

6. A detonator according to claim 5, wherein said constant current element is formed by a constant current diode.

7. A detonator according to claim 1, further comprising a housing including a metal portion and an insulating portion, and a protection resistor connected between a junction point between the by-pass means and the igniting resistor and the metal portion of the housing.

8. A detonator according to claim 7, wherein said protection resistor has a resistance value of 50-150 kΩ

.

9. A detonator according to claim 8, wherein said protection resistor has a resistance value of 100 kΩ

.

10. A detonator according to claim 1, further comprising an amplifier having power supply input terminals connected across the leg wires, an input terminal connected to a junction point between the by-pass means and the igniting resistor and an output terminal, a voltage controlled oscillator having power supply input terminals connected to the leg wires, an input terminal connected to the output terminal of the amplifier and an output terminal for generating a pulse whose repetition frequency corresponds to the terminal voltage across the igniting resistor, and a transistor having an emitter-collector passage connected across the leg wires and a base connected to the output terminal of the voltage controlled oscillator, whereby the resistance value of the igniting resistor is measured by detecting a repetition frequency of a pulsatory current passing through the leg wires.