Propellant holder for an explosion-driven setting tool and an explosion-driven setting tool

Abstract

An explosion-driven setting tool includes a setting mechanism ( 12 ) driven by a propellant ( 23 ), an ignition unit ( 18 ) for igniting the propellant ( 23 ), a receptacle ( 15 ) for receiving a propellant holder ( 20 ), a data communication interface ( 31 ) for receiving and transmitting data of the propellant holder ( 20 ), and a data processing unit ( 30 ) for receiving data transmitted by the data communication interface ( 31 ) and connected with a display ( 50 ) for displaying the propellant supply level ( 27 ) of the propellant ( 23 ) in the propellant holder having a housing ( 21 ) with an interior space ( 22 ) for receiving the propellant ( 23 ), and a data storage identification unit ( 40 ) in which the propellant supply level ( 27 ) is stored for being read-out.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A propellant holder for being releasably mounted in a setting tool having a data communication interface ( 31 ), the propellant holder comprising:
 a housing ( 21 ) having an interior space ( 22 ) for receiving propellant ( 23 );   a transponder tag ( 46 ); and   a data storage identification unit ( 40 ) carried on the transponder tag ( 46 ) and affixed to the housing ( 21 ) and in which a propellant supply level ( 27 ) is stored for being read-out by the data communication interface ( 31 ) of the setting tool.   
     
     
         2 . A propellant holder according to  claim 1 , further comprising a data communication interface ( 41 ) connected with the data storage identification unit ( 40 ). 
     
     
         3 . A propellant holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the data storage identification unit ( 40 ) is formed as EEPROM ( 45 ). 
     
     
         4 . A propellant holder according to  claim 2 , wherein the data communication interface ( 41 ) is formed as an antenna. 
     
     
         5 . A propellant holder according to  claim 4 , wherein the antenna is formed as a transponder antenna. 
     
     
         6 . A propellant holder according to  claim 2 , wherein the data communication interface ( 41 ) is formed as a contact element. 
     
     
         7 . A propellant holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the data storage identification unit ( 40 ) is formed as a magnetic strip ( 44 ). 
     
     
         8 . A propellant holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the propellant ( 23 ) is formed of solid propellant charges ( 25 ). 
     
     
         9 . A propellant holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the propellant holder is formed as a pressure container for at least one of a gaseous fuel and a liquid fuel ( 24 ). 
     
     
         10 . An explosion-driven setting tool, comprising:
 a setting mechanism ( 12 ) driven by a propellant ( 23 );   ignition means ( 18 ) for igniting the propellant ( 23 );   a receptacle ( 15 ) for receiving a propellant holder ( 20 ) having a transponder tag ( 46 ) and a data storage identification unit ( 40 ) which is carried on the transponder tag ( 46 );   a display ( 50 ) for displaying a propellant supply level ( 27 ) in the propellant holder ( 20 );   a data communication interface ( 31 ) for receiving and transmitting data with the data storage identification unit ( 40 ) of the propellant holder ( 20 ); and   a data processing unit ( 30 ) operationally connected with the data communication interface ( 31 ) and the display ( 50 ).   
     
     
         11 . An explosion-driven setting tool according to  claim 10 , wherein the data processing unit ( 30 ) is connected with the ignition means ( 18 ) for controlling the same. 
     
     
         12 . An explosion-driven setting tool according to  claim 11 , wherein the data processing unit ( 30 ) actuates the ignition means ( 18 ) for igniting the propellant when following conditions are met:
 the data processing unit ( 30 ) receives identification data which are read-out from the data storage identification unit ( 40 ) of the propellant holder ( 20 ) received in the receptacle ( 15 ) of the setting tool and which are recognized by the data processing unit ( 30 ) as authorized identification data of a propellant ( 23 ) suitable for the setting tool ( 10 ); and   propellant supply level data ( 27 ) read-out from the data storage identification unit ( 40 ) and communicated to the data processing unit ( 30 ) to indicate that the propellant holder ( 20 ) is not empty.   
     
     
         13 . An explosion-driven setting tool according to  claim 10 , wherein the data communication interface ( 31 ) is located in a region of the propellant holder receptacle ( 15 ). 
     
     
         14 . An explosion-driven setting tool according to  claim 10 , wherein the data communication interface ( 31 ) is formed as an antenna ( 32 ). 
     
     
         15 . An explosion-driven setting tool according to  claim 10 , wherein the data communication interface ( 31 ) is formed as a mating contact element ( 33 ). 
     
     
         16 . An explosion-driven setting tool according to  claim 10 , wherein the data communication interface is formed as a magnetic strip reader ( 34 ). 
     
     
         17 . An explosion-driven setting tool, comprising:
 a setting mechanism ( 12 ) driven by a propellant ( 23 );   ignition means ( 18 ) for igniting the propellant ( 23 );   a receptacle ( 15 ) for receiving a propellant holder ( 20 ), with the propellant holder ( 2 ) having:
 a housing ( 21 ) with an interior space ( 22 ) for receiving propellant ( 23 ), and 
 a data storage identification unit ( 40 ) in which a propellant supply level ( 27 ) is stored for being read-out; 
   a display ( 50 ) for displaying the propellant supply level ( 27 );   a data communication interface ( 31 ) for receiving identification data read-out from the data storage identification unit ( 40 ); and   a data processing unit ( 30 ) for receiving the identification data from the data communication interface ( 31 ) and connected with the display ( 50 ) for communicating the propellant supply level ( 27 ) thereto;   wherein the propellant supply level ( 27 ), being stored in the data storage identification unit ( 40 ) and being read-out by the data communication interface ( 31 ) of the setting tool, changes as the propellant is consumed during operation of the setting tool, so that the data storage identification unit ( 40 ) always stores the actual propellant supply level ( 27 ) and that the display ( 50 ) displays the actual propellant supply level ( 27 ).   
     
     
         18 . The propellant holder of  claim 1 , wherein the data storage identification unit ( 40 ) further stores propellant identification data. 
     
     
         19 . The propellant holder of  claim 1 , wherein the propellant supply level ( 27 ), being stored in the data storage identification unit ( 40 ) and being read-out by the data communication interface ( 31 ) of the setting tool, changes as the propellant is consumed during operation of the setting tool.