Electronic securing device

Abstract

An electronic securing device for an electronic load with an energy supply is provided, which can supply the securing device and the load with energy when an input signal is applied for a corresponding time, wherein the electronic securing device has a time delay, which ensures that only signals of a predetermined minimum duration are detected as a signal. The electronic securing device also has a programmable logic, which comprises the time control, and by way of which an operating switch can also be switched on. The programmable logic switches the energy supply to the load for a certain time and switch off again after the time has elapsed. The switching of the energy to the load takes place via a power switch. The switching off of the logic takes place via a first logic switch, which in turn can switch the operating switch and thereby deactivate the logic.

Claims

1. An electronic securing device for an electronic load, the device comprising: an energy supply that supplies the securing device and the load with energy; a time delay; an operating switch; a programmable logic that is adapted to be activated via the operating switch by the time delay; a power switch to connect or interrupt the energy of the energy supply to the load, wherein the programmable logic is connected to a first logic switch, which switches the operating switch and thus deactivate the programmable logic.

2. The electronic securing device according to claim 1, wherein a sensor is provided, which activates the time delay.

3. The electronic securing device according to claim 2, wherein the sensor is a mechanical, electromagnetic, or setback generator.

4. The electronic securing device according to claim 1, wherein an input switch activates the time delay.

5. The electronic securing device according to claim 1, wherein a second logic switch is provided, via which the energy supply is connectable to the programmable logic.

6. The electronic securing device according to claim 1, wherein an energy limitation is provided, which can limit the energy to the load.

7. The electronic securing device according to claim 1, wherein the programmable logic is a microprocessor or a microcontroller.

8. The electronic securing device according to claim 1, wherein the operating switch is a thyristor.

9. An electronic securing method via an electronic securing device according to claim 1, the method comprising: activating the time delay via a signal to switch the energy by the energy supply to the load; connecting, via the activated time delay, the energy of the energy supply to the programmable logic by the operating switch and thereby activating the programmable logic; switching, via the programmable logic, the power switch and thus connecting the energy of the energy supply to the load for a predefined time; disconnecting, after the predefined time has elapsed and via the programmable logic, the energy of the energy supply from the load by the power switch; and connecting the programmable logic substantially simultaneously to the first logic switch and, after the predefined time has elapsed, switching the operating switch so that the programmable logic is disconnected from the energy supply and thus deactivated.

10. The electronic securing method according to claim 9, wherein a sensor is provided and the sensor generates the signal which activates the time delay.

11. The electronic securing method according to claim 9, wherein an input switch of the electronic securing device switches only starting at a certain signal strength and thus the signal activates the time delay.

12. The electronic securing method according to claim 9, wherein the time delay is activated only when the signal is applied to the time delay for a predefined time.

13. The electronic securing method according to claim 9, wherein the predefined time is programmed into the programmable logic via a program.

14. The electronic securing method according to claim 9, wherein, when the energy supply to the programmable logic is interrupted, the power switch interrupts the energy supply to the load and the first logic switch connects the energy supply to the operating switch.

15. An Ammunition or projectile comprising an electronic securing device according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a securing device of the invention, and

(3) FIG. 2 shows an exemplary electronic circuit diagram of a securing device of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows the electronic securing device 6 of the invention for an electronic load 11. In FIG. 1, an LED is shown as an electronic load 11. Electronic securing device 6 is supplied by a battery as an energy supply 2, wherein energy supply 2 can supply securing device 6 as well as load 11 with energy.

(5) Electronic securing device 6 is now designed so that it can switch on the energy of energy supply 2 to load 11 for a certain time when there is an input signal. After this certain time has elapsed, the energy of energy supply 2 is again disconnected from load 11, namely permanently, so that no further signal can enable the switching of the energy supply to load 11.

(6) The input signal is detected in this case by a sensor 1 and can be electronic, mechanical, or electromagnetic in nature. A setback generator, as it is known in ammunition and projectiles, can also trigger such a signal.

(7) The signal of sensor 1 is switched via an input switch 3 to a time delay 4. Input switch 3 ensures that only signals with a certain signal strength, or level, are detected as an input signal. The time delay ensures that the signal passed through input switch 3 must be present for a certain time in order to be evaluated as an appropriate signal. The combining of input switch 3 and time delay 4 can ensure that a defined signal must be present to trigger a switching operation. Interfering signals or background noise is filtered out by the two elements, input switch 3 and time delay 4.

(8) The signal thus detected is supplied to a power switch 5, which ensures that energy supply 2 is switched to a programmable logic 9 via a second logic switch 8. Programmable logic 9 then executes the program contained therein when energy is applied by energy supply 2.

(9) Programmable logic 9 ensures that the energy of energy supply 2 is switched to load 11 and includes the time function after which load 11 is again disconnected from energy supply 2.

(10) Energy supply 2 is switched to load 11 by a power switch 10, which connects energy supply 2 to load 11. An energy limitation 12, which can limit the energy that is supplied to load 11, can be provided in addition between power switch 10 and load 11. This can be designed, for example, as a current limitation. Energy limitation 12 ensures that no power peaks occur due to the switching of energy supply 2 to load 11 and thus the energy supply 2 is unnecessarily stressed.

(11) After the time programmed in programmable logic 9 has elapsed, logic 9 controls a first power switch 7, which in turn interrupts energy supply 2 to operating switch 5, whereby operating switch 5 is turned off. As a result, energy supply 2 of programmable logic 9 is interrupted, whereby programmable logic 9 stops working.

(12) Due to the now existing configuration of the electronic securing device, energy supply 2 to operating switch 5 is interrupted so that it cannot turn on again. Any subsequent signals detected by sensor 1 can thus no longer lead to the turning on of operating switch 5 and thus no longer to the switching of energy supply 2 to load 11.

(13) For this purpose, FIG. 2 shows a possible electronic circuit in which the elements of the block diagram of FIG. 1 can be seen again. Four inputs can be seen on the left side, wherein the outer inputs represent the connections for energy supply 2 and the inner connections the inputs of sensor 1. Energy supply 2 thus supplies the entire electronic securing device 6 with electrical energy.

(14) If a signal is now detected in the input, input switch 3 switches and thus supplies time delay 4 with electrical energy. Time delay 4 is implemented here as an RC combination, so that the capacitor charges itself via the upstream resistors. If the capacitor is provided with sufficient charge, there is a voltage at the input of operating switch 5, which is designed as a thyristor. When a voltage is applied at the thyristor, it switches on and supplies programmable logic 9 with electrical energy via second logic switch 8.

(15) Programmable logic 9 in turn ensures that power switch 10 switches and thus the energy of energy supply 2 reaches load 11. After the time of programmable logic 9 has elapsed, the two FETs, which are provided as power switches, are turned off again, so that the energy supply to load 11 is interrupted. At the same time, programmable logic 9 interrupts the energy supply of operating switch 5, so that the thyristor no longer switches through. This results in an energy interruption to programmable logic 9, as a result of which programmable logic 9 stops working. The last switched state is maintained, so that operating switch 5 cannot turn on once more, because the energy supply of operating switch 5 remains interrupted by first logic switch 7. A second switching on of programmable logic 9 and thus switching of energy supply 2 to load 11 are therefore impossible.

(16) The invention at hand is not limited to the features described above but other embodiments are conceivable. Thus, it is conceivable that, as additional security, the programmable logic memorizes in its internal memory that a switching operation has already been performed and, due to this memorization, is likewise designed so that no further switching operation is performed. This can lead to additional securing. The switches shown above can also be designed as electromechanical switches instead of field-effect transistors, for example, as relays. Likewise, a generator can be provided as an energy supply instead of a battery. In a particular embodiment, it can also be provided that the time delay includes an energy storage means, which takes over the energy supply for the remaining function of the electronic securing device. Due to the energy-saving design of the electronic securing device, such an intermediate storage means is sufficient for a brief moment for supplying the electronic securing device.

(17) The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.