Manual release device and control system with such manual release devices

Abstract

A manual release device (1) with a control unit (10) and a radio interface (11) designed and configured for sending control signals, which are particularly suitable for triggering at least one explosive charge (S) located spatially away from the manual release device (1) in radio operation using a first radio frequency with the aid of a hand detonator (2), characterized in that the manual release device (1) has at least one line interface (12) which is designed and configured such that it is suitable for connection to an electrical and / or an optical line (L) in order to transmit a release signal over a spatial distance between the manual release device (1) and the hand detonator (2) in line operation, wherein the hand detonator (2) ensures the triggering of the at least one explosive charge (S) initiated by the manual release device (1) by means of the release signal with the aid of detonators (Z) and / or ignition devices (AZ).

Description

The invention relates to a manual release device for transmitting control signals, which are particularly suitable for moving explosive charges. Furthermore, the invention relates to a control system, particularly for moving multiple explosive charges, comprising a plurality of such manual release devices. A manual detonator of this type has a control unit and a radio interface for transmitting control signals, which are particularly suitable for triggering at least one explosive charge located spatially away from the manual detonator by means of a hand-held detonator using a primary radio frequency. The hand-held detonator receives the transmitted control signals and initiates the desired detonation of the explosive charge. For this purpose, the hand-held detonator is either attached directly to the explosive charge or is connected to it by a wired connection, in both scenarios typically being detonated by means of detonators or ignition devices. The feature of a handheld device for both the hand-held triggering device and the hand-held ignition device is to be designed within the scope of the invention in such a way that such devices, with their form factor and weight, are each easily graspable and portable with one hand. The control signals generated by the manual trigger device are primarily intended to detonate an explosive charge, i.e., to initiate the detonation of the explosive contained within the charge. However, these control signals can alternatively be used as switching signals for all types of electrical circuits. This allows all kinds of electrical devices, such as lights, sirens, magnets, etc., to be switched on and off. Furthermore, the control signals can also be used for the remote control of robots. The following, however, primarily describes the use of the control signals as trigger signals for detonating an explosive charge. Explosive charges are used in a wide variety of applications, from the construction industry and mining to law enforcement and military operations. Detonating these charges requires specialized equipment capable of triggering them safely and reliably. This equipment, commonly referred to as detonators, can take many forms depending on the specific requirements of different applications. The hand-held trigger presented here can also be used as a detonator if its control signals trigger the detonation of an explosive charge. In many cases, it is desirable to control the detonation of the explosive charge remotely to ensure the operator's safety. This is usually achieved through the use of radio technology, which allows signals to be transmitted over a certain distance without requiring a physical connection between the manual trigger and the manual detonator that triggers the explosive charge. The present invention aims to provide an improved manual trigger device and associated control system for explosive charges, offering increased flexibility, reliability and efficiency in the control and coordination of blasting operations. According to the invention, the manual release device has at least one wiring interface designed and configured for connection to an electrical and / or optical line to transmit a release signal over a spatial distance between the manual release device and the manual detonator in wired operation. The manual detonator ensures the detonation of the at least one explosive charge, initiated by the release device via the release signal, using detonators and / or ignition devices. For the purposes of the present invention, detonating hoses and detonating cords are also considered ignition devices. The wiring interface is configured, for example, as a standard serial interface RS232 or RS485 or as a fiber optic interface. The manual trigger can be designed to operate in both radio and wired modes. This offers the advantage of flexible deployment, allowing the manual trigger to be used in environments where radio communication is possible and permitted, as well as in environments where radio communication is not possible or permitted. When both operating modes are supported, a single manual trigger can operate multiple hand-held detonators, as communication via the radio interface and communication via the wired interface typically do not interfere with each other. This provides increased safety during relatively complex blasting operations. The control unit of the hand-held trigger can be designed to generate the control signals and forward them to the radio interface and / or the wired interface for transmission. For this purpose, the control unit may include, for example, a microcontroller or a microprocessor. The radio interface of the hand-held trigger can be configured to convert the electrical control signals generated by the control unit into electromagnetic radio signals and transmit these via an antenna in operative communication with the hand-held device to one or more associated hand-held detonators. The radio interface of the hand-held trigger can, for example, include a radio modulator and a radio amplifier. For security reasons, this radio communication is regularly digitally encrypted. The interface of the manual release device can be configured to convert the control signals generated by the control unit into electrical or optical signals and transmit them via a connected cable. This interface can, for example, include a line modulator and a line amplifier. The manual detonator can be designed to receive the control signals sent by the manual trigger and convert them into detonation of the explosive charge. The manual detonator can, for example, include a firing circuit and a detonator or ignition device. In a preferred embodiment, the control unit of the manual release device is designed and configured to allow activation of a mixed-mode operation. In this mixed-mode operation, radio operation via the radio interface occurs simultaneously with wired operation via the wired interface. This offers the advantage that the manual release device can transmit control signals simultaneously or with a time delay via both a radio and a wired connection. This can be useful, for example, in situations where both a radio and a wired connection are available and increased reliability or redundancy in the transmission of the control signals is desired. The control unit can be designed to simultaneously forward the control signals to both the radio and wired interfaces for transmission. In another variant, the control unit of the manual release device is designed and configured to offer the option of activating an alternative operating mode. This alternative mode forces a switch between radio and wired operation. This offers the advantage that the manual release device can react flexibly to different operating conditions. For example, the manual release device can automatically switch to wired operation if the radio connection is disrupted or unavailable. Conversely, the manual release device can switch to radio operation if the wired connection is disrupted or suddenly unavailable. The control unit can be designed to monitor the status of both the radio and wired connections and switch the operating mode of the manual release device accordingly. In another preferred embodiment, the control unit is designed and configured such that the forced switch from radio to wired operation in the alternative operating mode is achieved by connecting a cable to the wired interface. This offers the advantage that the user can switch the operating mode of the hand-held trigger from radio to wired simply by connecting a cable to the wired interface. This eliminates the need to manually change the operating mode using the user interface. This can be useful, for example, in situations where a reliable radio connection is unavailable or prohibited. The control unit can be designed to automatically detect when a cable is connected to the wired interface and switch the operating mode of the hand-held trigger accordingly.This results in time savings for the user when switching from radio to wired operation, which is particularly advantageous in police and military operational scenarios. Detection can be achieved, for example, by measuring resistance when connecting electrical cables. The radio interface of the manual detonator is preferably designed to interact with manual detonators for additional explosive charges on other radio frequencies besides the primary one. This makes the manual detonator universally usable in different countries with varying national regulations regarding the permitted use of frequency bands. In Europe, frequencies in the 410 to 475 MHz and 865 to 868 MHz ranges are common. In the USA, frequencies around 915 MHz, specifically 902 to 928 MHz, are typical. Radio frequencies in the GHz range can also be integrated for satellite communication. The radio interface can be controlled to send the control signals on different radio frequencies, with each radio frequency assigned to a specific hand-held detonator. Alternatively, the radio interface can be configured to send the control signals on a common radio frequency, and the control signals can be encoded so that each hand-held detonator only recognizes and processes the control signals intended for it. In another embodiment, shared electronic components for the first radio frequency and for at least one of the other radio frequencies are mounted on a common circuit board or otherwise interconnected. This offers the advantage of reducing the complexity and cost of the handheld trigger, as fewer separate components are required. The shared electronic components can be, for example, components required for modulating and demodulating the radio signals, amplifying the radio signals, or controlling the radio interface. The shared circuit board can be designed to carry the shared electronic components and their associated circuits and connect them electrically.Alternatively, the shared electronic components can also be mounted on several separate electronic circuit boards or otherwise coupled to each other via circuitry. The manual trigger device preferably also has a firing interface for wired detonation of an explosive charge, allowing it to operate in stand-alone mode as an autonomous manual detonator or as a manual detonator in receive mode. In receive mode, trigger signals from a spatially distant manual trigger device operating in transmit mode can be received via the radio interface and / or the wired interface of the manual trigger device. This offers the advantage of flexible use of the manual trigger device in different operating modes. In stand-alone mode, the manual trigger device can be used as an autonomous manual detonator capable of detonating an explosive charge independently of other devices. In receive mode, the manual trigger device can be used as part of a system of multiple manual trigger devices, with each manual trigger device capable of detonating one or more explosive charges. In an advantageous embodiment, the control unit of the manual release device is configured and designed such that the manual release device can operate in receive mode as a manual detonator or in transmit mode as a manual release device. One and the same device can assume both roles: firstly, the manual release device located away from the explosive charge, and secondly, the manual detonator positioned relatively close to the explosive charge. This offers the advantage that the manual release device can be used with complete flexibility in various scenarios. In receive mode, the manual release device can be used as part of a system of multiple manual release devices, with each manual release device capable of detonating one or more explosive charges.The control unit of the hand-held trigger device can be designed to switch the operating mode of the hand-held trigger device depending on user input or automatically depending on detected operating conditions. If a manual trigger device has a firing interface, this interface is preferably designed and configured to allow the connection of an electrical firing lead and / or a firing tube and / or a laser diode for triggering at least one explosive charge. This offers the advantage that the manual trigger device can be used flexibly with various types of detonators. An electrical firing lead can, for example, be used to transmit an electrical trigger signal in the form of a firing signal that ignites electrical detonators or ignition devices located on the explosive charge. A firing tube can, for example, be used to transmit a pilot flame that activates a detonator or ignition device fixed to the explosive charge. A laser diode can use its laser beam to ignite a detonator or ignition device on the explosive charge.The ignition interface can be designed in such a way that it allows the connection of an electrical ignition lead and / or an ignition hose and / or a laser diode in parallel or alternatively. In an advantageous embodiment, the manual triggering device includes a detonating hose module configured and designed such that an electrical ignition line exists between the ignition interface and the detonating hose module for transmitting the trigger signal, thus igniting a detonating hose connected to the module. The detonating hose module reliably ensures the conversion of the trigger signal into an electromagnetic ignition pulse for the safe ignition of the connected detonating hose. When using detonating hoses, branches with additional detonating hoses can be integrated into the detonating hose line, or one or more additional detonating hoses can be ignited by the explosive charge to be detonated. In this way, any number of additional explosive charges can be detonated via the corresponding number of additional detonating hoses. This detonating principle with a multitude of detonating hoses is known from the prior art. The ignition hose module can be an integral part of the hand-held trigger, meaning it is housed in the same handheld unit. Alternatively, the hand-held trigger may have two handheld units connected via a cable link through the ignition interface. The invention also relates to a control system, particularly for the repositioning of explosive charges, comprising a plurality of manual trigger devices. These manual trigger devices are configured according to the embodiments described above. The control system offers the advantage that several explosive charges can be detonated simultaneously or in a specific sequence. Each manual trigger device can detonate one or more explosive charges. The manual trigger devices can be configured to communicate with each other to enable coordinated detonation of the explosive charges. Communication between the manual trigger devices can be established via radio and / or wired connections. All manual trigger devices that are equipped with a detonation interface in addition to the radio and wired interfaces can optionally also be used as manual detonators within the control system. In a preferred embodiment, the control system may further include one or more radio repeaters to increase the radio range of a hand-held detonator operating in transmit mode for sending trigger signals to the hand-held detonator or to a hand-held detonator used as a hand-held detonator. A radio repeater is a device that receives radio signals and amplifies and / or retransmits them on a different frequency. By using one or more radio repeaters, the range of the radio signals transmitted by a hand-held detonator in transmit mode can be increased. This can be useful, for example, in situations where the explosive charges are distributed over a large spatial distance or where the radio link is impaired by obstacles or sources of interference. The radio repeaters can also be configured to retransmit the radio signals in their original form or in a defined modified form.Furthermore, frequency switching is possible using the radio repeater. For example, the mobile network with mobile devices can also be integrated into the control system in this way. Alternatively or in addition to radio repeaters, it is also possible to use transmitter amplifiers, so-called "boosters", to ensure reliable transmission of the trigger signal. In an advantageous embodiment, the control system is designed such that at least one of the radio repeaters and / or at least one of the hand-held detonators or one of the hand-held trigger devices has a buoyant capable of floating in water. This offers the advantage that the control system can also be used in environments with water, such as rivers, lakes, or the sea. The buoy is preferably designed to rise to the water's surface at a controlled and pre-programmed time, thus maintaining a radio link with other devices of the control system. The buoy can provide wired communication with components of a hand-held detonator or hand-held trigger located below the water's surface, or it can float in close proximity to the hand-held detonator or hand-held trigger.The buoy may also be equipped with at least one of the following components: its own power source, a signal light for locating it, and an ignition interface. The control system can also include a remotely controlled robotic manipulator that can be coupled to the hand-held trigger via the wired and / or wireless interface of the trigger. Such a robotic manipulator can be used, for example, to place or remove explosive charges without requiring a control system operator to be in close proximity to them. This increases operator safety and improves the efficiency of the control system. The robotic manipulator can be configured to grasp, transport, and place the explosive charges. It can also be configured to detonate explosive charges, for example, by attaching a detonator to the charge and igniting it.The robot manipulator can communicate with and be controlled by the hand-held trigger via the latter's wired and / or wireless interface. Furthermore, the robot manipulator's control system can be linked to one of the hand-held triggers to enable remote control of the robot manipulator. Further properties and features of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the purely exemplary embodiments described below: It shows: Fig. 1 a preferred embodiment of the manual release device together with a manual detonator for moving an explosive charge; Fig. 2 a first embodiment of a control system with several manual release devices in a maritime explosives deployment scenario and Fig. 3 a further embodiment of a control system with several manual release devices. Fig. 1 shows, purely by way of example, a preferred embodiment of the manual release device 1 together with a manual detonator 2 for detonating an explosive charge S. The manual release device 1 has a control unit 10 in a handheld housing, which controls various interfaces of the manual release device 1. These include a radio interface 11 with an antenna 110, a wired interface 12 for connection to an electrical and / or optical line L, and a detonation interface 13. The detonation interface 13 is not mandatory. It extends the operational possibilities of the manual release device 1 by allowing it to be connected to an explosive charge S in stand-alone operation via its detonation interface 13 and a detonation line ZL or a detonation hose ZS (shown here only in conjunction with the manual detonator 2). If the manual release device 1 has a detonation interface 13, it can also be operated independently, i.e.,Without the use of an additional hand detonator 2, the detonation of an explosive charge S can be effected. The hand trigger 1 then functions as a hand detonator. The present diagram illustrates the interaction between the manual release device 1 and a manual ignition device 2. The manual ignition device 2 can be located many hundreds of meters or many kilometers away from the manual release device 1. Communication between the manual release device 1 and the manual ignition device 2 occurs either from the radio interface 11 of the manual release device 1 via its antenna 110 to the antenna 210 of a radio interface 21 of the manual ignition device 2, or alternatively via the line interface 12 of the manual release device 1 using an electrical and / or optical line L to a line interface 22 of the manual ignition device 2. In this scenario, the manual release device 1 operates in an alternative operating mode. However, it is also possible for the manual release device 1 to operate in a mixed operating mode, using both radio interfaces 11 and 21 as well as line interfaces 12 and 22 for communication between the manual release device 1 and the manual ignition device 2.The hand-held ignition device 2, like the hand-held triggering device, has a control unit 20 which controls, in particular, the radio interface 21, the line interface 22 and an ignition interface 23 of the hand-held ignition device 2. If an explosive charge S positioned closer to the hand-held detonator 2 than to the hand-held triggering device 1 is to be detonated, the required trigger signal is generated at the hand-held triggering device 1. This requires an interaction between a user and a user interface (not shown), preferably in the form of a display, and control elements located on or operatively connected to the hand-held triggering device 1, which are also not shown in Fig. 1. Depending on the operating mode of the hand-held triggering device 1, the trigger signal is then transmitted to the hand-held detonator 2 via the radio interface 11 and / or the wired interface 12. The control unit 20 of the hand-held detonator 2 registers the input of the trigger signal and activates the firing interface 23 of the hand-held detonator 2.By means of the ignition interface 23, the hand-held detonator 2 is connected via an electrical ignition line ZL and / or an ignition hose ZS to an ignition device Z, an ignition device AZ or a laser diode LD, each of which, after being ignited or switched on, causes the explosive of the explosive charge S to detonate. When an ignition hose ZS is used, this is usually done with an ignition hose module 15, which enables the switch from the electrical ignition line ZL to the pyrotechnic ignition hose ZS. Without the ignition hose module 15, in an alternative scenario not shown here, the electrical ignition line ZL would run to the igniter AZ or to the detonator Z. The igniter AZ or the detonator Z must then be designed so that it is triggered by an electrical pulse transmitted via the electrical ignition line ZL, thus causing the detonation of the explosive charge S. The same applies to the use of a laser diode LD instead of a detonator Z or an igniter AZ. It is also possible to structurally integrate the ignition hose module 15 into the firing interface of the hand-held detonator 2. The preferred embodiment of the manual release device 1 shown in Fig. 1 has the same interface configuration as the manual ignition device 2. This variant is therefore a manual release device 1 that could also be used as a manual ignition device 2. The manual ignition device 2 can also be identical to the manual release device 1 beyond the same interface configuration. The user interface, which is mandatory in the manual release device 1, for example in the form of a display and various buttons (not shown in Fig. 1), is not required for the functionality of the manual ignition device 2. Therefore, the manual ignition device 2 can be manufactured with fewer components compared to the manual release device 1. The combination of the radio interface 11 and the line interface 12 enables higher functionality of the manual release device, so that, for example, a larger number of explosive charges can be controlled with one and the same manual release device 1. Fig. 2 shows a first embodiment of a control system with several, in this case two, manual release devices 1 in a maritime explosives deployment scenario. The manual release device 1 shown on the left, unlike the manual release device 1 shown in Fig. 1, has only one radio interface 11 with antenna 110 and one wired interface 12. For clarity, the control unit is not shown in this reduced-size representation. This manual release device 1 operates wirelessly and transmits a release signal on a defined frequency. This release signal reaches a radio repeater 15 within range of the manual release device 1. In the scenario described here, the radio repeater 15 is floating on the surface of a lake, river, or sea. The radio repeater 15 typically retransmits the received signal on the same frequency, so that it reaches another manual release device 1. This second manual release device 1 is located below the water's surface but is connected via its wired interface to a radio interface 11, designed as a buoy 16, with an antenna 110 floating on the water's surface above the submerged components of the second manual release device 1. The release signal received via the buoy's radio interface 16 is transmitted via wired connection to the underwater part of the manual release device 1.There, a control unit of the further manual release device 1, not illustrated in this figure, causes the trigger signal to initiate the deployment of the underwater explosive charge S via an electrical ignition line ZL, which runs between an ignition interface 13 of the further manual release device 1 and an ignition device Z, an ignition device AZ and a laser diode LD of an explosive charge S. The same scenario using radio repeaters 15 can also be implemented on land, although for reasons of environmental conditions for the transmission of electromagnetic signals, spatial decoupling of the radio interface 11 of the further hand release device 1 may be advisable. Fig. 3 shows a control system in a scenario where no explosive charge is detonated, but rather a robot manipulator 17 is remotely controlled using two hand-held trigger devices 1. Identical components are designated with the same reference numerals. A robot remote control device 18, for example in the form of a laptop or tablet, is connected via the interface 12 of the first hand-held trigger device 1 shown on the left. The control unit of the first hand-held trigger device 1 (not shown) transmits trigger signals generated by the robot remote control device 18 via the radio interface 11 to the radio interface 11 of the second hand-held trigger device 1. A robot manipulator 17 is connected to the interface 12 of this second hand-held trigger device 1 via an electrical and / or optical cable.This control system allows the robot to be remotely controlled from a greater distance using hand-held triggers, for example, to examine and manipulate suspicious objects. It is also conceivable that the robot manipulator 17 communicates directly with the radio interface 11 of the first hand-held trigger via its own integrated robot radio interface. Reference symbol list: 1 Manual trigger 10 Control unit 11 Radio interface 110 Antenna 12 Cable interface 13 Ignition interface 14 Ignition hose module 15 Radio repeater 16 Buoyant 17 Robot manipulator 2 Manual detonator 20 Control unit of the manual detonator 21 Radio interface of the manual detonator 210 Antenna of the manual detonator 22 Cable interface of the manual detonator 23 Ignition interface of the manual detonator L Electrical and / or optical cable S Explosive charge Z Detonator AZ Igniter ZL Electrical detonator cable ZS Detonator hose LD Laser diode

Claims

A manual release device (1) with a control unit (10) and a radio interface (11) designed and configured for sending control signals, which are particularly suitable for triggering at least one explosive charge (S) located spatially remote from the manual release device (1) in radio operation using a first radio frequency with the aid of a hand detonator (2), characterized in that the manual release device (1) has at least one line interface (12) which is designed and configured such that it is suitable for connection to an electrical and / or an optical line (L) in order to transmit a release signal over a spatial distance between the manual release device (1) and the hand detonator (2) in line operation, wherein the hand detonator (2) ensures the triggering of the at least one explosive charge (S) initiated by the manual release device (1) by means of the release signal with the aid of detonators (Z) and / or ignition devices (AZ). Manual release device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (10) is designed and configured in such a way that it allows activation of a mixed operating mode of the manual release device (1), wherein the radio operation via the radio interface (11) runs simultaneously with the wired operation via the wired interface (12). Manual release device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control unit (10) of the manual release device (1) is designed and configured in such a way that it offers activation of an alternative operating mode of the manual release device (1), wherein the alternative operating mode forces a forced switching between radio operation and line operation. Manual release device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the control unit (10) is designed and configured such that the forced switching in the alternative operating mode from radio operation to line operation is carried out by coupling a line (L) to the line interface (12). Manual release device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the radio interface (11) is designed to interact via further radio frequencies with manual detonators (2) of several explosive charges (S) to be detonated. Manual release device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that electronic components (100) used jointly for the first radio frequency and for at least one of the further radio frequencies are mounted on a common electronic circuit board (1000) or otherwise coupled to each other in a circuit-technical manner. Manual release device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the manual release device (1) has an ignition interface (13) for a wired transfer of an explosive charge (S), so that the manual release device (1) can be operated in a stand-alone mode as an autonomous manual detonator or as a manual detonator in a receive mode, wherein in the receive mode trigger signals from a spatially remotely arranged further manual release device operating in a transmit mode can be received via the radio interface (11) and / or the wired interface (12) of the manual release device (1). Manual release device (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the control unit 10) of the manual release device (1) is configured and designed such that the manual release device (1) can be operated in receive mode as a manual ignition device or in transmit mode as a manual release device. Manual release device (1) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the ignition interface (13) is designed and configured in such a way that it allows the connection of an electrical ignition line (ZL) and / or an ignition hose (ZS) and / or a laser diode (LD) for the activation of at least one explosive charge. Manual release device (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the manual release device (1) has an ignition hose module (14) which is configured and designed such that an electrical ignition line (ZL) between ignition interface (13) and ignition hose module (14) transmits the release signal, so that an ignition hose (ZS) coupled to the ignition hose module (14) ignites. Control system, in particular for moving several explosive charges, comprising a plurality of manual release devices (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10. Control system according to claim 11 further comprising one or more radio repeaters (15) for increasing the radio range of a hand trigger device (1) operated in transmit mode for sending trigger signals to the hand trigger device (1) or to a hand trigger device (1) used as a hand trigger device. Control system according to claim 11 or 12, wherein at least one of the radio repeaters (15) and / or at least one of the hand ignition devices (2) or one of the hand release devices (1) acting as hand ignition devices has a buoy (16) capable of floating in water. Control system according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising a remotely controllable robot manipulator (17) which can be coupled to the hand release device (1) via the line interface (12) and / or the radio interface (11) of a hand release device.

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