Patent ID: 6564688
Filing Date: 2003-05-20
Classification: A22B,A62B,B25D,Y10T

Abstract:
A firing system for an impact generating apparatus including a housing defining an interior chamber with a front portion and a rear portion, the firing system comprising:a striker assembly having a first end and a second end and movably disposed within the front portion of the housing, the striker assembly comprising, a striker head disposed at the first end of the striker assembly, the striker head having inner and outer portions which are moveable relative to one another and the inner portion of the striker head having an opening, and a striker shaft mounted to the outer portion of the striker head and extending outwardly of the front portion of the housing and terminating in the second end of the striker assembly; a driver assembly having a first end and a second end and containing a propellant charge, the driver assembly disposed within the rear portion of the housing so that the first end of the driver assembly is adjacent the inner portion of the striker head; means responsive to an electrical charge for igniting the propellant, the propellant igniting means disposed on the first end of the driver assembly; an electrical power supply associated with the housing; and a firing circuit comprising, electrical contacts connected to the power supply and adapted to be positioned in the housing adjacent the inner striker head, positive and negative electrically conductive rings disposed around the inner striker head and operatively connected to the electrical contacts in the housing, an electrically conductive contact member including a positive contact and a negative contact, the contact member disposed within the striker head for movement with the outer portion of the striker head and relative to the inner portion of the striker head from a first position where the inner and outer portions of the striker head are spaced and at least one of the positive or negative contact points is within the opening in the inner portion of the striker head and a second position where the inner and outer portions of the striker head are closer together and the contact point extends from the inner portion of the striker head toward the rear portion of the housing, and means for electrically connecting the positive and negative conductive rings with the positive and negative contacts, respectively, on the contact member, wherein when a target object is forcibly engaged with the striker shaft tip so as to move the striker shaft inwardly of the housing, the outer portion of the striker head is moved toward the rear portion of the housing relative to the inner portion of the striker head to the second position so that the contact point of the contact member extends from the inner portion of the striker head to engage the propellant igniting means for completing an electrical firing circuit to enable firing of the device by electrical power supplied through the firing circuit to the propellant igniting means.