Month: July 2018

July 28, 2018

J4 Ball Switch For Robust Position Sensing

For many applications, standard garden variety ball switches won’t cut it. In fact, even Google is confused about ball switches, conflating them with tilt switches that happen to use a floating ball in their implementation.

But engineers know, that’s not a real ball switch.

So for the cognoscenti among us, we understand that a ball switch generally consists of a metal ball in some kind of carrier which when depressed, either opens or closes a circuit. The ball actuator has many uses in applications where mechanical parts pass over the actuation point in an imprecise way. There is no stick or plunger in a ball carrier, and the ball sticks out ever so slightly providing a low profile solution to sensing mechanical position for a wide variety of equipment.

For Ball Switches, The Devil Is In The Details

So if we are looking at true ball switches, they all have a similar profile. The real difference between ball switches offered on the market and the ball switches CPI makes have to do with four things:

  1. Materials used in construction.
  2. Internal design of the actuator mechanism.
  3. Ability to withstand water and other contaminants in the vicinity of operation.
  4. Electro-mechanical endurance of the switch. This is commonly expressed as the mean number of cycles of actuation before failure.

CPI’s J4 Series Ball Switch Design

Perhaps the first thing to understand is that unlike virtually every other ball switch in existence, the J4 Series Ball switch is waterproof, period. Not splash-proof or “moisture resistant”. And not just water. The switch rejects oil, gas, dust, sand, mud, ice and all manner of airborne contaminants. Unlike the ball switches of some of our competitors it has no plastic parts. Variations of our switch can operate over a temperature range of -50°F to 185°F without locking up (cold side problem) or failing to make contact.

The way CPI has achieved this has everything to do with our patented ball carrier design. As shown below, the J4 ball switch employs a double exclusion seal. This seal coupled with the incredibly tight tolerances achieved in manufacturing, keep contaminants out of the switch housing. An available stainless steel body and internally sealed contacts that can be manufactured in any lead length, complete the picture.

Here’s a look at the specs of our J4 series, as compared to other commonly offered ball switches.

Pollak Ball switch CPI Ball Switches
Waterproof Rated No Yes
Integrated wiring Fixed length Customized Length
Rated Endurance 1 million cycles 5 million cycles
Max Current 24VDC, 5 Amps 28VDC, 5 Amps
Temperature Range -40 to 150 F -50 to 185 F

Call CPI Today to discuss Your Application

In the world of ball switches, the CPI offering is truly unique. Call our engineering team today to discuss your applications.

Original content posted on https://www.cpi-nj.com/blog/j4-ball-switch-for-robust-position-sensing/

July 4, 2018

RPG Helicopter Defense.

As one of the workhorse helicopter assets of allied military’s around the world, the Chinook CH-47 and variants carry more cargo and soldiers into battle than any other flying aircraft. It is known as a “battlefield multiplier” and its importance to combat logistics cannot be overstated.

Despite this tactical importance, military analysts can also tell you that the Chinook is also one of the most vulnerable choppers in the US arsenal. In Afghanistan, more CH-47D helicopters have been shot down than any other single type of aircraft.  In the words of one US Ranger, “CH-47D’s fly really high and slow with no evasive maneuvers. They’re a huge target up there, like a train coming in for a landing.”

The CH-47D is but an extreme example of the risks faced by all hovering aircraft in the battlefield. It is with this challenge in mind that CPI engineers conceived of their unique battlefield defense system dubbed the CPI ARC system

Active Rotating Countermeasure (ARC) System for Helicopter Defense.

Unlike other RPG defense systems currently under development (Israeli Trophy, Rheinmetall ADS, etc..) the CPI ARC system utilizes a continuously rotating munitions head capable of delivering multiple non-lethal munitions into the path of oncoming rockets. Unique to the system is the turret: a continuously rotating launch platform which can house a wide variety of munitions, each customized for the same or multiple threat defeat profiles.

For RPG defense the launch munitions include what is referred to as a Rocket Towed Barrier (RTB). The barrier is essentially a kevlar parachute which expands into the path of the rocket once launched. The effect of the parachute is to either deflect or explode the RPG, effectively rendering it non-lethal without the risks of damage to the aircraft or friendly forces nearby. Because the platform holds close to two dozen rounds and is continuously spinning, it can detect and launch multiple countermeasures defeating multiple threats.

It should be possible to detect and defeat threats more rapidly using the ARC system. This means threat defeat further from the aircraft instead of relying on armor to protect personelle from explosions that often occur within 1 meter or less of the vehicle as in the case of the Trophy system. Existing detection systems can be tied into ARC but since it is continuously spinning, there is no need for the extreme turret movement and inertial damping required by gun based systems. Software identifies the threat vector and launches the next available countermeasure on the spinning turret. Since the parachute covers a wide surface area, there is no need to “hit a bullet with a bullet”. Nor do we worry about the fratricidal potential of shotgun type munitions, though these could be used with the ARC system as well if deemed more appropriate for certain threats in certain tactical situations.

For More Information Contact CPI Today

CPI is actively looking for a partner with which to license and develop this technology. Please send all inquiries to Mac Stuhler at mac@cpi-nj.com

To read more about this patented technology please go to https://www.cpi-nj.com/rpg-defense-for-the-us-military/rpg-defense-system/

Original content posted on https://www.cpi-nj.com/blog/rpg-helicopter-defense/