Patent ID: 7946227

Claim:
A detonator system which includes a delay line which is formed from a plurality of discrete electronic time delay relays, each time delay relay producing a respective output signal a predetermined time delay period after application of an input signal to the time delay relay, and elongate connection devices between each adjacent pair of time delay relays whereby the time delay relays are connected in series to one another so that an output signal from a first time delay relay is applied as an input signal to a second time delay relay which is adjacent the first time delay relay, and a plurality of detonators which are respectively connected to the delay line at spaced intervals, wherein each time delay relay includes a voltage sensor which, in response to an input signal which has a voltage of a defined magnitude, produces an actuating signal, a decoder for validating the input signal so that the voltage sensor is only responsive to the input signal if the input signal is validated, a time delay element which in response to the actuating signal commences timing of the predetermined time delay period, and a switch which is operated at the end of the predetermined time delay period to produce an output signal of that time delay relay which is applied as an input signal to an adjacent time delay relay.