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Method of controlling detonators fitted with integrated delay electronic ignition modules, encoded firing control and encoded ignition module assembly for implementation purposes

  • US 5,520,114 A
  • Filed: 09/13/1993
  • Issued: 05/28/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. Method of controlling detonators fitted with integrated delay electronic ignition modules (15), each detonator having an ignition module and an ignitor, each ignition module (15) comprising a first reservoir capacitor (29) designed, after loading, to discharge in an associated ignitor (13) in order to generate a firing electrical pulse, a time base as well as logic unit (303) comprising a second reservoir capacitor (44) designed to supply the necessary energy to the rest of the logic unit, if line voltage is cut off, and a memory in order to store in said ignition module (15) a delay time for the explosion of said detonator, during a firing sequence, said ignition modules being able to communicated with a firing control unit (17) designed to transmit to said ignition modules an order to load the first reservoir capacitor (29) as well as a firing order and to receive from said modules, data about their conditions, said method comprising:

  • before a firing sequence, storing individual ignition module delay times in the ignition modules via a programming unit (18), wherein, once the ignition modules have been programmed, the delay times programmed are stored in the firing control unit (17) via the programming unit (18), the firing control unit (17) can interrogate the ignition modules simultaneously, said ignition modules send the data requested back to said firing control unit (17), and all steps for said method are executed by signals exhibiting an intensity substantially less than a threshold intensity necessary to operate the ignitor (13).

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