Safely deploying power
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a first switch comprising;
a first-switch spring having a first state in which it is held in tension and a second state in which it is not held in tension;
a normally open set of contacts, 1-A-1 and 1-A-2, that are electrically disconnected when the first-switch spring is in the first state and electrically connected when the first-switch spring is in the second state;
a first-switch restraining element for keeping the first-switch spring in the first state, wherein the first-switch restraining element has a first side and a second side and wherein the first-switch restraining element is permanently collapsible to change the first-switch spring from the first state to the second state when a first-switch actuating voltage is applied across the first side and the second side of the first-switch restraining element;
a first-switch actuation circuit comprising;
a first-switch actuation line coupled to the first side of the first-switch restraining element, anda first-switch actuation enable line coupled to the second side of the first-switch restraining element;
a first-switch firing circuit comprising;
a first-switch power input line coupled to contact 1-A-1,a first-switch power output line coupled to contact 1-A-2, anda first-switch enable line coupled to contact 1-A-2;
a second switch comprising;
a second-switch spring having a first state in which it is held in tension and a second state in which it is not held in tension;
a normally open set of contacts, 2-A-1 and 2-A-2, that are electrically disconnected when the second-switch spring is in the first state and electrically connected when the second-switch spring is in the second state;
a second-switch restraining element for keeping the second-switch spring in the first state, wherein the second-switch restraining element has a first side and a second side and wherein the second-switch restraining element is permanently collapsible to change the state of the second-switch spring from the first state to the second state when a second-switch actuating voltage is applied across the first side and the second side of the second-switch restraining element;
a second-switch actuation circuit comprising;
a second-switch actuation line coupled to the first side of the second-switch restraining element, anda second-switch actuation enable line coupled to the second side of the second-switch restraining element; and
a second-switch firing circuit comprising;
a second-switch power input line coupled to contact 2-A-1,a second-switch power output line coupled to contact 2-A-2, anda second-switch actuation enable line coupled to the first-switch enable line.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A first-switch-actuation-polarity power is applied to a first-switch actuation line, the first polarity being defined relative to a first voltage on a first-switch-actuation-enable line, causing the first switch to actuate and remain actuated after the applied first-switch-actuation-polarity power is removed. Actuating the first switch couples a first-switch power input line to a first-switch power output line and the first-switch power input line to the first-switch enable line. The first-switch enable line is coupled to a second-switch actuation enable line on a second switch. Second-switch-actuation polarity power is applied to the second-switch actuation line on the second switch, the second polarity being defined relative to a voltage on the second-switch actuation enable line and being opposite of the first polarity, causing the second switch to actuate and remain actuated after the applied second-switch-actuation-polarity power is removed and coupling a second-switch power input line to a second-switch power output line.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a first switch comprising; a first-switch spring having a first state in which it is held in tension and a second state in which it is not held in tension; a normally open set of contacts, 1-A-1 and 1-A-2, that are electrically disconnected when the first-switch spring is in the first state and electrically connected when the first-switch spring is in the second state; a first-switch restraining element for keeping the first-switch spring in the first state, wherein the first-switch restraining element has a first side and a second side and wherein the first-switch restraining element is permanently collapsible to change the first-switch spring from the first state to the second state when a first-switch actuating voltage is applied across the first side and the second side of the first-switch restraining element; a first-switch actuation circuit comprising; a first-switch actuation line coupled to the first side of the first-switch restraining element, and a first-switch actuation enable line coupled to the second side of the first-switch restraining element; a first-switch firing circuit comprising; a first-switch power input line coupled to contact 1-A-1, a first-switch power output line coupled to contact 1-A-2, and a first-switch enable line coupled to contact 1-A-2; a second switch comprising; a second-switch spring having a first state in which it is held in tension and a second state in which it is not held in tension; a normally open set of contacts, 2-A-1 and 2-A-2, that are electrically disconnected when the second-switch spring is in the first state and electrically connected when the second-switch spring is in the second state; a second-switch restraining element for keeping the second-switch spring in the first state, wherein the second-switch restraining element has a first side and a second side and wherein the second-switch restraining element is permanently collapsible to change the state of the second-switch spring from the first state to the second state when a second-switch actuating voltage is applied across the first side and the second side of the second-switch restraining element; a second-switch actuation circuit comprising; a second-switch actuation line coupled to the first side of the second-switch restraining element, and a second-switch actuation enable line coupled to the second side of the second-switch restraining element; and a second-switch firing circuit comprising; a second-switch power input line coupled to contact 2-A-1, a second-switch power output line coupled to contact 2-A-2, and a second-switch actuation enable line coupled to the first-switch enable line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus comprising:
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a first switch comprising; a first-switch spring having a first state in which it is held in tension and a second state in which it is not held in tension; a normally open set of contacts, 1-A-1 and 1-A-2, that are electrically disconnected when the first-switch spring is in the first state and electrically connected when the first-switch spring is in the second state; a first-switch restraining element for keeping the first-switch spring in the first state, wherein the first-switch restraining element has a first side and a second side and wherein the first-switch restraining element is permanently collapsible to change the first-switch spring from the first state to the second state when a first-switch actuating voltage is applied across the first side and the second side of the first-switch restraining element; a first-switch actuation circuit comprising; a first-switch actuation line coupled to the first side of the first-switch restraining element, and a first-switch actuation enable line coupled to the second side of the first-switch restraining element; a first-switch firing circuit comprising; a first-switch power input line coupled to contact 1-A-1, a first-switch power output line coupled to contact 1-A-2, and a first-switch enable line coupled to contact 1-A-2; a second switch comprising; a second-switch spring having a first state in which it is held in tension and a second state in which it is not held in tension; a normally open set of contacts, 2-A-1 and 2-A-2, that are electrically disconnected when the second-switch spring is in the first state and electrically connected when the second-switch spring is in the second state; a second-switch restraining element for keeping the second-switch spring in the first state, wherein the second-switch restraining element has a first side and a second side and wherein the second-switch restraining element is permanently collapsible to change the state of the second-switch spring from the first state to the second state when a second-switch actuating voltage is applied across the first side and the second side of the second-switch restraining element; a second-switch actuation circuit comprising; a second-switch actuation line coupled to the first side of the second-switch restraining element, and a second-switch actuation enable line coupled to the second side of the second-switch restraining element; a second-switch firing circuit comprising; a second-switch power input line coupled to contact 2-A-1, a second-switch power output line coupled to contact 2-A-2, and a second-switch actuation enable line coupled to the first-switch enable line; a device comprising; a first power input coupled to the first-switch power output line, and a second power input coupled to the second-switch power output line; wherein; the first-switch power input line is coupled to a first terminal of a power source, and the first-switch actuation line, the second-switch actuation line, and the second-switch power input line are coupled to a device actuation line which is couplable to a second terminal of the power source. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A method comprising:
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coupling a first-switch enable line on a first switch to a second-switch actuation enable line on a second switch; coupling a second-switch actuation line on the second switch to a first-switch actuation line on the first switch; coupling a second-switch power input line on the second switch to the first-switch actuation line on the first switch; applying a first-switch-actuation-polarity power to the first-switch actuation line, a first polarity of the first-switch-actuation-polarity power being defined relative to a first voltage on a first-switch-actuation-enable line, causing the first switch to actuate and remain actuated after the applied first-switch-actuation-polarity power is removed, wherein actuating the first switch couples; a first-switch power input line to a first-switch power output line; and the first-switch power input line to the first-switch enable line; and applying second-switch-actuation polarity power to the second-switch actuation line, a second polarity of the second-switch actuation polarity power being defined relative to a voltage on the second-switch actuation enable line and being opposite of the first polarity of the first-switch-actuation-polarity power, causing the second switch to actuate and remain actuated after the applied second-switch-actuation-polarity power is removed, and wherein actuating the second switch couples the second-switch power input line to a second-switch power output line. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification