The present invention generally relates to the field of pyrotechnic initiators, and more particularly to a pyrotechnic initiator with an output can that has an encapsulation material retention feature.
Pyrotechnic initiators have many uses in industrial and consumer applications. One important use is in triggering the inflation of airbags in motor vehicles. Significant efforts have been made in the automotive industry to reduce the cost of manufacturing reliable airbag initiators, but there remains a need for further reduction in the costs of manufacturing reliable initiators.
In particular, initiators have been made with an encapsulation of insulator material such as nylon. In existing encapsulated initiator designs, secure adherence of the encapsulation material to the body of the initiator may be enhanced through a retention feature on the header assembly called a backdraft. There are several disadvantages with the backdraft, however. First, the backdraft is applied through an expensive machining operation. Second, if the initiator contains onboard circuitry, the backdraft requires that the output can be held flush with the header to a tight tolerance after welding so as to prevent shorting of the circuitry. Third, the amount of encapsulation material captured by the backdraft is limited by the space available on the header assembly. Fourth, with a backdraft, weakness in the weld can make the output can prone to ejecting upon firing of the initiator.
Thus, there remains a need for improving the manner of retention of encapsulation material to the initiator body in encapsulated initiators. In this regard, it is believed that an encapsulation material retention feature has never been provided on the output can of an initiator.
In accordance with the present invention, a pyrotechnic initiator is provided with an encapsulation material retention feature on the output can rather than the header assembly, thus removing an expensive machining operation and replacing it with an inexpensive standard stamping or deep drawing operation. Specifically, the bottom of the output can may be swaged over the bottom of the header assembly and/or stamped with anchors, providing an effective and economical encapsulation material retention feature.
Referring to
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, shown in
As can be seen from a comparison of
The embodiment of
As shown in
Two batches of six inert swaged can initiators according to the embodiment of the invention shown in
Preferred embodiments of a pyrotechnic initiator with an output can having an encapsulation material retention feature, and many of the attendant advantages, have thus been disclosed. It will be apparent, however, that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the form hereinbefore described being merely preferred or exemplary embodiments thereof. Therefore, the invention is not to be restricted or limited except in accordance with the following claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4223005 | Teodorescu et al. | Sep 1980 | A |
4617607 | Park et al. | Oct 1986 | A |
5140906 | Little, II | Aug 1992 | A |
5204491 | Aureal et al. | Apr 1993 | A |
5315877 | Park et al. | May 1994 | A |
5329819 | Park et al. | Jul 1994 | A |
5556132 | Sampson | Sep 1996 | A |
5634660 | Fink et al. | Jun 1997 | A |
5686691 | Hamilton et al. | Nov 1997 | A |
5695215 | Headley et al. | Dec 1997 | A |
5847310 | Nagahashi et al. | Dec 1998 | A |
5889228 | Ewick et al. | Mar 1999 | A |
5932832 | Hansen et al. | Aug 1999 | A |
6009809 | Whang | Jan 2000 | A |
6073963 | Hamilton et al. | Jun 2000 | A |
6164208 | Hsu et al. | Dec 2000 | A |
6220163 | Duguet et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6311621 | Marshall et al. | Nov 2001 | B1 |
6341562 | Brisighella | Jan 2002 | B1 |
6408759 | Ewick et al. | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6446557 | Lubbers | Sep 2002 | B1 |
6553914 | Hosey et al. | Apr 2003 | B2 |
6578487 | Avetisian et al. | Jun 2003 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20040094059 A1 | May 2004 | US |