Pyrotechnic safety element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10529516-B2
Application number	US-201715661457-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2017
Priority date	Jan 27, 2015
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

A pyrotechnic safety element is particularly suited for use in motor vehicles. The safety element includes a conductor, a pyrotechnic unit with a pyrotechnic propellant charge, a severing member for severing the conductor, and a housing. The conductor is composed of two separate conductor parts which are joined at a joining point and are severed by the severing member when the device is triggered.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pyrotechnic safety element, comprising:
a conductor formed of two separate conductor parts being sheet-metal strips arranged in a line on a common axis over an entire length thereof, the two separate parts adjoining one another in a longitudinal direction and being connected to one another at a connecting point by a mechanically shaped joint, the conductor parts extending in opposite directions away from the connecting point along a direction of the common axis;
a pyrotechnic unit with a pyrotechnic propellant charge;
a severing member for severing the conductor, the severing member, upon a triggering of the pyrotechnic safety element, moving along the common axis in the longitudinal direction in order to disconnect the two conductor parts from one another at the connecting point; and
a housing enclosing the pyrotechnic unit the connecting point and the severing member.

2. The safety element according to claim 1 , wherein one end of one the sheet-metal strip lies on one end of the other the sheet-metal strip, forming an overlap between the ends.

3. The safety element according to claim 2 , wherein the two sheet-metal strips are connected to one another with at least one end of one sheet-metal strip protruding beyond the connecting point, to thereby form a projection on which the severing member engages in the event of triggering.

4. The safety element according to claim 3 , wherein the projection is bent up, enabling the severing member to engage under the projection in the event of triggering.

5. The safety element according to claim 1 , wherein the two conductor parts are fastened to one another to form an angle therebetween.

6. The safety element according to claim 1 , wherein the severing member has a shape of a wedge and, in the event of triggering, the severing member disconnects the connection between the two conductor parts in that the severing member lifts one the conductor part off the other the conductor part.

7. The safety element according to claim 1 , wherein the severing member is a plastic material element.

8. The safety element according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is formed of precisely two housing parts.

9. The safety element according to claim 8 , wherein the two housing parts are a side wall and a housing base, the two housing parts defining a housing shell, a housing cover, and a film hinge connecting the housing shell and the housing cover to one another.

10. The safety element according to claim 7 , wherein at least one of the conductor parts is formed with a void in a material thereof for fastening the housing to the at least one conductor part.

11. The safety element according to claim 9 , wherein the pyrotechnic unit is led through the side wall and the pyrotechnic unit is encapsulated in plastic for forming the side wall.

12. The safety element according to claim 1 configured as a safety element for a motor vehicle.

13. A fuse box for a motor vehicle, comprising a pyrotechnic safety element according to claim 1 .

14. The safety element according to claim 1 , wherein the two conductor parts are connected to one another by a clinching joint.

15. The safety element according to claim 1 , wherein the severing member has a wedge-shape with a plurality of geometrical sub-forms that differ from one another with respect to function.

16. A pyrotechnic safety element, comprising:
a conductor formed of two separate conductor parts being sheet-metal strips arranged in a line on a common axis the two separate parts adjoining one another in a longitudinal direction and being connected to one another at a connecting point by a mechanically shaped joint, the conductor parts extending opposite one another away from the connecting point in a direction of the common axis;
a pyrotechnic unit with a pyrotechnic propellant charge;
a severing member for severing the conductor, the severing member, upon a triggering of the pyrotechnic safety element, moving along the common axis in the longitudinal direction in order to disconnect the two conductor parts from one another at the connecting point, the severing member having two guiding strips disposed opposite one another and straddling the conductor for guiding the severing member on the conductor; and

a housing enclosing the pyrotechnic unit the connecting point and the severing member.

17. The safety element according to claim 16 , wherein the housing with the conductor defines lateral receptacles to receive the guiding strips and guide the severing member.

18. A pyrotechnic safety element, comprising:
a conductor formed of two separate conductor parts being sheet-metal strips arranged in a line on a common axis the two separate parts adjoining one another in a longitudinal direction and being connected to one another at a connecting point by a mechanically shaped joint, the conductor parts extending opposite one another away from the connecting point in a direction of the common axis;
a pyrotechnic unit with a pyrotechnic propellant charge;
a severing member for severing the conductor, the severing member, upon a triggering of the pyrotechnic safety element, moving along the common axis in the longitudinal direction in order to disconnect the two conductor parts from one another at the connecting point, the severing member having a wedge-shape with a plurality of geometrical sub-forms differing from one another with respect to function, the sub-forms including two lateral main wedges with an auxiliary wedge disposed therebetween, the auxiliary wedge being flatter in slope than the main wedges; and

a housing enclosing the pyrotechnic unit the connecting point and the severing member.

19. A pyrotechnic safety element, comprising:
a conductor formed of two separate conductor parts being sheet-metal strips arranged in a line along a common axis over an entire length thereof, the two separate parts adjoining one another in a longitudinal direction and being connected to one another at a connecting point by a formed connection being a clinching connection, the conductor parts extending in opposite directions away from the connection along a direction of the common axis;
a pyrotechnic unit with a pyrotechnic propellant charge;
a severing member for severing the conductor, the severing member, upon a triggering of the pyrotechnic safety element, moving along the common axis in the longitudinal direction in order to disconnect the two conductor parts from one another at the connecting point; and

a housing enclosing the pyrotechnic unit the connecting point and the severing member.

Assignees

• Leoni Bordnetz Sys Gmbh

Inventors

• Burger Martin
• Steiner Peter

Classifications

• H01H39/006 Primary

  Opening by severing a conductor · CPC title

• H01H2039/008

  using the switch for a battery cutoff · CPC title