An igniter for propulsion unit including a receptacle having at least one opening through which passes a conducting line connected to an ignition carrier of a slapper contained within the receptacle, the igniter being characterized in that at least one elastomer material is disposed between the ignition carrier and the opening such that the pressure of the gases generated by the propulsion unit which is ignited pushes the elastomer material at the vicinity of the opening of the receptacle so that this elastomer material blocks the opening and avoids any gas leak through this opening.

Provided is an initiator for a rocket motor. The initiator for a rocket motor includes: a sleeve assembly configured to form a hollow portion; and an ignition assembly including a plug portion mounted on the sleeve assembly to close one side of the hollow portion and configured to deliver an electrical signal and a foil ignition portion coupled to the inside of the plug portion to be adjacent to the hollow portion. The sleeve assembly includes: a first gunpowder accommodated in the hollow portion to be adjacent to the foil ignition portion and detonated by the foil ignition portion; and a second gunpowder accommodated inside the hollow portion to contact the first gunpowder and deflagrated or combusted by the detonation of the first gunpowder.

A firing circuit for operating an exploding foil initiator that employs a transistor to control the transmission of electrical energy from an electrical energy storage device to a bridge of the exploding foil initiator.

An initiator assembly having a base, first and second conductive elements, a first electrically insulating member and an energetic material. The first conductive element, which is configured to receive an electrical input, is coupled to the base and includes a tip. The first electrically insulating member is disposed over the tip. The second conductive element has a bridge that is disposed over the first electrically insulating member. The bridge is configured to vaporize in response to transmission of the electrical input from the tip of the first conductive element to the bridge. The energetic material is disposed over the bridge. Energy produced during vaporization of the bridge is transmitted to the energetic material to initiate at least one of a combustion event, a deflagration event and a detonation event in the energetic material. A method for operating an initiator assembly is also provided.

In an aspect of the invention there is provided an integrated circuit initiator device that comprises a circuit substrate provided with an electrical insulating layer; an electrical conducting bridge circuit deposited on the insulating layer; said bridge circuit patterned as contact areas and a bridge structure connecting the contact areas, said bridge structure arranged for forming a plasma when the bridge structure is fused by a initiator circuit that contacts the contact areas; and a polymer layer that is spin-coated on the bridge structure, for forming a flyer that is propelled away from the substrate.

Initiation devices may include at least one substrate, an initiation element positioned on a first side of the at least one substrate, and a spark gap electrically coupled to the initiation element and positioned on a second side of the at least one substrate. Initiation devices may include a plurality of substrates where at least one substrate of the plurality of substrates is electrically connected to at least one adjacent substrate of the plurality of substrates with at least one via extending through the at least one substrate. Initiation systems may include such initiation devices. Methods of igniting energetic materials include passing a current through a spark gap formed on at least one substrate of the initiation device, passing the current through at least one via formed through the at least one substrate, and passing the current through an explosive bridge wire of the initiation device.

An initiator assembly includes an initiator housing having an initiator cavity and a housing orifice edge. A bridge substrate is positioned within the initiator cavity, the bridge substrate includes a substrate base including a uniform first planar surface and first and second bridge contacts flush with the uniform first planar surface. The first and second bridge contacts form a continuous planar mounting surface. An explosive charge and a flyer plate are within the initiator cavity, the flyer plate interposed between the explosive charge and the bridge substrate. A plunger head is telescopically received in the initiator cavity and includes an anchoring cylinder face having a face perimeter and extends between first and second face ends. The housing orifice edge is anchored to the anchoring cylinder face at a position between the first and second face ends and extends around the face perimeter.

A jet cutter apparatus and method for using a single bridge wire or a plurality of bridge wires to uniformly detonate a booster and thereby cause a uniform detonation of the explosives adjacent to the liners, thereby causing a uniform compression of the liners to form a uniform plasma jet that is substantially radially perpendicular to the jet cutter.

An initiator assembly that includes a housing, a base, an exploding foil initiator, an input charge assembly and an output charge. The housing and the base cooperate to define a cavity. The exploding foil initiator and the output charge are received into the cavity. The input charge assembly is received in the cavity between the exploding foil initiator and the output charge. The input charge assembly includes a holder, which has first and second axial ends, and an input charge. A charge aperture is formed through the first axial end of the holder and does not extend through the second axial end of the holder. The input charge is formed of an explosive material and is received into the charge aperture.

An exploding foil initiator system comprises a substrate having a first side and a second side, an exploding foil initiator and surface mount pads. The exploding foil initiator is formed on the first side of the substrate and comprises a first contact, a second contact and a channel that electrically connects the first contact and the second contact. A first surface mount pad is formed on the second side of the substrate. As second surface mount pad is also formed on the second side of the substrate. A first via extends through the substrate to electrically connect the first contact with the first surface mount pad. Analogously, a second via extends through the substrate to electrically connect the second contact to the second surface mount pad.