Ammunition and explosives – Igniting devices and systems – Electrical primer or ignitor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-04
2001-06-19
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3641)
Ammunition and explosives
Igniting devices and systems
Electrical primer or ignitor
C102S202000, C102S202700, C102S202900, C102S202110, C102S530000, C102S531000, C280S740000, C280S741000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247409
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typical igniters for a gas generator comprise at least two connecting leads and an incandescent means arranged between the connecting leads and surrounded by an igniting substance.
The igniter serves to ignite, when required, a gas generant of the gas generator, the gas generant then providing a pressurized gas. This gas may be used, for example, to deploy a gas bag of a vehicle occupant restraint system or to displace a piston of a linear drive.
The igniter is typically produced by the incandescent means first being attached to the two connecting leads. Subsequently the end of the connecting leads provided with the incandescent means is dipped into a liquefied igniting substance which adheres to the incandescent means. This procedure is repeated until the desired amount of igniting substance has built up on the end of the connecting leads provided with the incandescent means. Subsequently a so-called booster is provided around the igniting substance, this booster being ignited by the igniting substance on activation of the igniter, the booster in turn then igniting the gas generant of the gas generator. The booster is necessary since the igniting substance usually fails to furnish enough energy to ignite the gas generant in a sufficiently short period of time.
The object of the invention is to provide an igniter of the aforementioned kind, the production of which is simplified.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An igniter according to the invention comprises at least two connecting leads and an incandescent means arranged between the connecting leads and surrounded by an igniting substance, several filaments being used as said incandescent means. This construction assures that when dipping the end of the connecting leads provided with the incandescent means into the igniting substance, substantially more igniting substance remains adhered to the incandescent means. In this way the number of dipping actions into the igniting substance can be considerably reduced resulting in cost-savings. Furthermore, so much igniting substance remains adhered to the incandescent means in all, that in some cases the booster can be eliminated since the build-up of igniting substance provides sufficient energy to directly ignite the gas generant, this too, resulting in cost-savings.
Advantageous aspects of the invention read from the sub-claims.
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Jordan Charles T.
Sanchez Glenda L.
Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell Tummino & Szabo L.L.P.
TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
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