Electronic device
First Claim
1. A method of detonating an explosive charge at a blast site from a remote control site by means of an electronic detonator located adjacent the charge at the blast site, the detonator comprising fuse means, energy storage means and switch means, wherein the switch means is connected to the fuse means and the energy storage means for selectively connecting the energy storage means to the fuse means, the method comprising the steps of:
- charging the storage means by transmitting from the control site an electromagnetic wave comprising at least two sinusoidal components, receiving the wave at the blast site and storing energy in the wave in the storage means;
enabling the switch means by changing the frequency of one of the components of the wave so that the switch means is actuatable from the remote site to connect the storage means to the fuse means;
actuating the switch means to connect the charged storage means to the fuse means by communicating by means of the wave a fire command signal to the detonator thereby to energize the fuse means to cause the charge to explode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A remote controllable electronic detonator and a method of detonating an explosive charge are disclosed and claimed. The detonator comprises an antenna 16, a RF receiver 15, an energy storage capacitor 17, a switch 18, a delay time circuit 21 and a fuse 19. The method comprises the steps of transmitting to the detonator, by means of transmitter 11, a wave comprising a carrier amplitude modulated by a low frequency modulating signal, receiving the wave and utilizing energy in the wave to charge capacitor 17, enabling switch 18 by increasing the frequency of the modulating signal and communicating, by means of the wave, a fire command signal to the detonator. After a predetermined time delay, switch 18 connects capacitor 17 to fuse 19 thereby to energize the fuse.
56 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of detonating an explosive charge at a blast site from a remote control site by means of an electronic detonator located adjacent the charge at the blast site, the detonator comprising fuse means, energy storage means and switch means, wherein the switch means is connected to the fuse means and the energy storage means for selectively connecting the energy storage means to the fuse means, the method comprising the steps of:
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charging the storage means by transmitting from the control site an electromagnetic wave comprising at least two sinusoidal components, receiving the wave at the blast site and storing energy in the wave in the storage means; enabling the switch means by changing the frequency of one of the components of the wave so that the switch means is actuatable from the remote site to connect the storage means to the fuse means; actuating the switch means to connect the charged storage means to the fuse means by communicating by means of the wave a fire command signal to the detonator thereby to energize the fuse means to cause the charge to explode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A remote controllable electronic detonator for an explosive charge comprising:
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receiver means for wireless reception of an electromagnetic wave; energy storage means connected to the receiver means, the storage means being chargeable by energy in the wave; fuse means; remote controllable switch means which, when enabled, is actuatable by a fire command signal carried by the wave to connect the energy storage means to the fuse means; and frequency dependent enabling means connected to the switch means for enabling the switch means; the enabling means normally being in an unarmed state wherein the switch is not actuatable by the fire command signal and being adapted to be converted, by changing the frequency of a component of the wave, to an armed state wherein the switch means is actuatable by the fire command signal to connect the storage means to the fuse means to energize the fuse and to cause the charge to explode. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification