Photopyrotechnical detonation device and photopyrotechnical chain using this device

Claim 2

A photopyrotechnical detonating device comprising a body with: a cavity to house a pyrotechnical charge, an input for an energy beam of a given wavelength, used to actuate this charge, and a passage for the energy beam between said input and the cavity, said photopyrotechnical device further comprising: a transparent barrier placed in the passage, in the path of the beam, said barrier withstanding the effects of mechanical forces generated during the operation of the charge and being made of a material which is transparent to the wavelength of this beam, and having a first surface on the input side and a second surface on the pyrotechnical charge side, its position and the shape of its two surfaces being defined so as to focus, on a given point, a parallel energy beam, having said given wavelength and penetrating this transparent barrier through its first surface, and tight-sealing means between this barrier and the body of the device, wherein the transparent barrier has the shape of a truncated cone that widens out towards the cavity, and wherein the tight-sealing means constitute an O-ring seal.

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1 wherein the transparent barrier is made of sapphire.

Claim 4

A device according to claim 1 comprising a thin percussion cap, placed between the transparent barrier and the pyrotechnical charge and having one side in contact with the pyrotechnical charge.

Claim 6

A device according to claim 1 wherein, the transparent barrier having a first surface on the input side and a second surface on the pyrotechnical charge side, its positioning and the shape of its two surfaces are defined so as to focus, on a given point a parallel energy beam having said given wavelength and penetrating this transparent barrier through its first surface.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 1 further comprising means to focus the energy beam on a given point.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 6 wherein the focusing means comprise: a first lens cut so as to convert the energy beam, reaching the device, into a parallel beam; a second lens placed between the first lens and the transparent barrier so that the energy beam successively goes through the first lens, the second lens and the transparent barrier, the position and shape of the second lens and of the transparent barrier being defined so that the parallel energy beam leaving the first lens is focused on a given point.

Claim 9

A device according to claim 7 wherein the first lens is mounted on an optical connector which can be fixed, in a detachable way, on the body of the device.

Claim 10

A device according to claim 7, wherein the two lenses are mounted on an optical connector which can be fixed, in a detachable way, on the body of the device, the second lens being in a position that enables the focusing of the energy beam on a given point when the optical connector is mounted on the body of the device.

Claim 11

A device according to claim 7 wherein the two lenses are fixed inside the body of the device.

Claim 12

A photopyrotechnical detonating device comprising a body with: a cavity to house a pyrotechnical charge, an input for an energy beam of a given wavelength, used to actuate this charge, and a passage for the energy beam between said input and the cavity, said photopyrotechnical device further comprising: a transparent barrier placed in the passage, in the path of the beam, said barrier withstanding the effects of mechanical forces generated during the operation of the charge and being made of a material which is transparent to the wavelength of this beam, and having a first surface on the input side and a second surface on the pyrotechnical charge side, its position and the shape of its two surfaces being defined so as to focus, on a given point, a parallel energy beam, having said given wavelength and penetrating this transparent barrier through its first surface, tight-sealing means between this barrier and the body of the device, means to focus the energy beam on a given point, wherein the focusing means comprises: a first lens cut so as to convert the energy beam, reaching the device, into a parallel beam; a second lens placed between the first lens and the transparent barrier so that the energy beam successively goes through the first lens, the second lens and the transparent barrier, the position and shape of the second lens and of the transparent barrier being defined so that the parallel energy beam leaving the first lens is focused on a given point, wherein the transparent barrier has a first surface on the input side and a second surface on the pyrotechnical charge side, its two surfaces being cut so as to focus the parallel beam leaving the first lens on a given point, the first surface of the transparent barrier thus constituting the second lens.

Claim 13

A photopyrotechnical detonating device comprising a body with: a cavity to house a pyrotechnical charge, an input for an energy beam of a given wavelength, used to actuate this charge, and a passage for the energy beam between said input and the cavity, said photopyrotechnical device further comprising: a transparent barrier placed in the passage, in the path of the beam, said barrier withstanding the effects of mechanical forces generated during the operation of the charge and being made of a material which is transparent to the wavelength of this beam, and having a first surface on the input side and a second surface on the pyrotechnical charge side, its position and the shape of its two surfaces being defined so as to focus, on a given point, a parallel energy beam, having said given wavelength and penetrating this transparent barrier through its first surface, tight-sealing means between this barrier and the body of the device, means to focus the energy beam on a given point, wherein the focusing means comprises: a first lens cut so as to convert the energy beam, reaching the device, into a parallel beam; a second lens placed between the first lens and the transparent barrier so that the energy beam successively goes through the first lens, the second lens and the transparent barrier, the position and shape of the second lens and of the transparent barrier being defined so that the parallel energy beam leaving the first lens is focused on a given point, wherein the transparent barrier has a first surface on the input side and a second surface on the pyrotechnical charge side, its two surfaces being cut so as to focus the parallel beam leaving the first lens on a given point, the first surface of the transparent barrier thus constituting the second lens.

Claim 14

A photopyrotechnical chain comprising: a laser source emitting a beam of a given wavelength; a photopyrotechnical detonating device, and an optical cable conveying the beam from the laser source to the detonating device, wherein the detonating device comprises: a body with: a cavity to house a pyrotechnical charge, an input for an energy beam of an given wavelength, used to actuate this charge, and a passage for the energy beam between said input and the cavity, said photopyrotechnical device further comprising: a transparent barrier placed in the passage, in the path of the beam, said barrier withstanding the effects of mechanical forces generated during the operation of the charge and being made of a material which is transparent to the wavelength of this beam, and having a first surface on the input side and a second surface on the pyrotechnical charge side, its position and the shape of its two surfaces being defined so as to focus, on a given point, a parallel energy beam, having said given wavelength and penetrating this transparent barrier through its first surface, tight-sealing means between this barrier and the body of the device, wherein the transparent barrier has the shape of as truncated cone that widens out toward the cavity, and wherein the tight-sealing means constitute an O-ring seal.

Claim 15

A photopyrotechnical chain comprising: a laser source emitting a beam of a given wavelength; a photopyrotechnical detonating device, and an optical cable conveying the beam from the laser source to the detonating device, wherein the detonating device comprises: a body with: a cavity to house a pyrotechnical charge, an input for an energy beam of an given wavelength, used to actuate this charge, and a passage for the energy beam between said input and the cavity, said photopyrotechnical device further comprising: a transparent barrier placed in the passage, in the path of the beam, said barrier withstanding the effects of mechanical forces generated during the operation of the charge and being made of a material which is transparent to the wavelength of this beam, and having a first surface on the input side and a second surface on the pyrotechnical charge side, its position and the shape of its two surfaces being defined so as to focus, on a given point, a parallel energy beam, having said given wavelength and penetrating this transparent barrier through its first surface, tight-sealing means between this barrier and the body of the device, wherein the transparent barrier has the shape of as truncated cone that widens out toward the cavity, and wherein the tight-sealing means constitute an O-ring seal.

Claim 16

A chain according to claim 12 wherein the laser source is a triggered, pulsed laser.