Charge holder for explosive cutter

Abstract

Charge holders and methods for making charge holders, the charge holders including a first portion formed of a first material, the first portion having a longitudinally discontinuous internal feature integrally formed therein and a second portion formed of a second material, the second portion extending from the first portion and defining a charge support channel. The longitudinally discontinuous internal feature is formed from at least one third material, wherein at least one the third material is different from the first material.

1 . A charge holder comprising:
 a first portion formed of a first material, the first portion having a longitudinally discontinuous internal feature integrally formed therein; and   a second portion formed of a second material, the second portion extending from the first portion and defining a charge support channel,   wherein the longitudinally discontinuous internal feature is formed from at least one third material, wherein at least one the third material is different from the first material.   
     
     
         2 . The charge holder of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second portions are integrally formed. 
     
     
         3 . The charge holder of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally discontinuous internal feature comprises at least one of a plurality of fiber structures, void structures, or lattice structures discontinuously distributed along a longitudinal axis of the first portion. 
     
     
         4 . The charge holder of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally discontinuous internal feature comprises a combination of at least two of fiber structures, void structures, and lattice structures discontinuously distributed along a longitudinal axis of the first portion. 
     
     
         5 . The charge holder of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion includes a floor shaped to receive a charge and sidewalls, wherein the floor and sidewalls define the charge support channel. 
     
     
         6 . The charge holder of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally discontinuous internal feature comprises a plurality of subfeatures discontinuously distributed along a longitudinal axis of the first portion, wherein locations between the discontinuously distributed subfeatures of the first portion are solid. 
     
     
         7 . The charge holder of  claim 1 , further comprising a charge located within the charge support channel. 
     
     
         8 . The charge holder of  claim 7 , further comprising at least one initiator attached to at least one of the first portion and the second portion and operably connected to the charge to initiate an explosion of the charge. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The charge holder of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more external features formed on the first portion, wherein the one or more external features are arranged to receive an attachment mechanism to attach the charge holder to a structure to be cut. 
     
     
         11 . The charge holder of  claim 10 , wherein the structure to be cut is a portion of an aircraft, a portion of a launch vehicle, a portion of a door, or a portion of a wall. 
     
     
         12 . The charge holder of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion is arranged to direct a blast of a charge out of the charge support channel and away from the first portion. 
     
     
         13 . The charge holder of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one third material is at least one of a liquid, a solid, and a gas. 
     
     
         14 . The charge holder of  claim 1 , wherein the first material and the second material are the same material. 
     
     
         15 . The charge holder of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally discontinuous internal feature comprises at least one of fibers, granules, powder, fluids, gels, wires, lattice structures, fiber structures, granules of material, powder materials, cavities, voids, gaps, and void patterns. 
     
     
         16 . A method for manufacturing a charge holder comprising:
 forming a first portion using a first material;   integrally forming a longitudinally discontinuous internal feature within the first portion; and   forming a second portion using a second material, the second portion formed to extend from the first portion and define a charge support channel,   wherein the longitudinally discontinuous internal feature is formed from at least one third material, wherein at least one the third material is different from the first material.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first and second portions are integrally formed. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the longitudinally discontinuous internal feature comprises a plurality of fiber structures, void structures, and/or lattice structures discontinuously distributed along a longitudinal axis of the first portion. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first portion, the second portion, and the longitudinally discontinuous internal feature are additively manufactured as a unitary body. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising forming one or more external features on the first portion, wherein the one or more external features are arranged to receive an attachment mechanism to attach the charge holder to a structure to be cut.