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Abstract

A pancake-configured housing holds first and second printed circuit boards. The first board includes electronic circuitry providing an adjustable timing delay and a first switch manually operated from a position external to the housing. The second board includes a pyrotechnic device and electronic circuitry for firing the device after the adjustable time delay. The second board also includes second switches with arms actuatable to convert such switches from first to second operative states. In the first state, the second switches short circuit the device and an energy storage member (e.g. a capacitor) on the second board and provide an open circuit to the circuitry on the first board. In the second state, the second switches provide a charging of the capacitor, the initiation of the timing through the circuitry in the first board with the first switch closed and the device firing by the capacitor energy after the adjustable delay. The housing has first and second integral fittings preferably oppositely disposed. The first fitting may receive an input mechanism as through a male coupling and the second fitting may receive an output mechanism as through a female coupling. Upon actuation, the input mechanism communicates with the movable arms of the second switches to operate the second switches to the second states. When the pyrotechnic device fires after the adjustable delay, the device actuates the output mechanism through the second fitting. The housing may respectively receive individual ones of different input and output mechanisms through the first and second fittings.

First Claim