Igniter for passenger protection devices and method for producing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12281885-B2
Application number	US-202217976524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2022
Priority date	Apr 28, 2020
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

An igniter of a passenger protection device has at least one metal pin for contacting the tripping unit of the passenger protection device. The metal pin has a contact end that can be coupled to the tripping unit. The metal pin has a gold coating with a layer thickness. A maximum layer thickness is present at a distance of at least 1 mm from the contact end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An igniter of a passenger protection device, the igniter comprising:
a round, metal pin extending along a length thereof toward a contact end,
wherein the contact end is not flat;
a gold coating on a section along the length and about a circumference of the metal pin,
a plateau region of the gold coating having a maximum thickness between 0.20 μm and 0.80 μm,
wherein the maximum thickness varies by at most 40% of the maximum thickness,
wherein the plateau region has a length between 2 mm and 6 mm and is located at least 1 mm from the contact end,
wherein the gold coating has a thickness that increases, in a direction from the contact end towards the plateau region, by a slope of 0.1 to 0.3 μm per mm, and
wherein the plateau region is configured to be electrically contacted.

2. The igniter according to claim 1 , wherein gold coating has a thickness less than 0.20 μm outside the plateau region.

3. The igniter according to claim 2 , wherein the gold coating has a thickness greater than 0.05 μm outside the plateau region.

4. The igniter according to claim 1 , wherein the metal pin has a length of more than 7 mm, and wherein the gold coating has a thickness of more than 0.15 μm at 7 mm from the contact end.

5. The igniter according to claim 4 , wherein the gold coating has a thickness, at 7 mm from the contact end, of less than 0.35 μm.

6. The igniter according to claim 1 , wherein the metal pin has a length of 7 mm to 12 mm, and wherein the plateau region begins at 1 mm to 4 mm from the contact end.

7. The igniter according to claim 1 , wherein the plateau region terminates at 5 mm to 10 mm from the contact end.

8. The igniter according to claim 7 , wherein the plateau region terminates at 5.5 mm to 7.5 mm from the contact end.

9. The igniter according to claim 1 , wherein the metal pin is arranged in a sealing material of a metal sealing-material feedthrough with a base body or is connected to the base body in an electrically conductive manner by a solder connection or a weld connection.

10. The igniter according to claim 1 , wherein the contact end is round.

11. A method for producing the igniter of claim 1 , the method comprising:
applying the gold coating to the section over the length of the metal pin, wherein the gold coating is applied so that the plateau region extends a length of 2 mm to 8 mm and is formed on the metal pin beginning at a distance of 1 mm to 5 mm from the contact end of the metal pin;
inserting the metal pin in a glass or glass ceramic material;
inserting the glass or glass ceramic material alone or together with a base body into a housing opening of a housing of the igniter; and
heating the glass or glass ceramic material while applying a pressure glazing.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the applying the gold coating to the metal pin is by electrolytic deposition.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the applying the gold coating is by a blend technique in a single coating step.

14. The method according to claim 11 , the method further comprising:
diffusing nickel into the metal pin prior to the applying the gold coating.

15. A passenger protection device selected from the group consisting of: airbags, seatbelt tensioners, buckle tensioners, pyrotechnic actuators, active hinges, active buckles, active headrests, active steering columns, and battery separators, the passenger protection device comprising:
the igniter according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Schott Ag

Inventors

• Pfeiffer Thomas
• Relich Stanislav
• Chromec Michal

Classifications

• F42B3/195

  Manufacture · CPC title

• C25D5/34

  Pretreatment of metallic surfaces to be electroplated · CPC title

• C25D3/48

  of gold · CPC title

• C23C28/023

  only coatings of metal elements only · CPC title

• C23C10/00

  Solid state diffusion of only metal elements or silicon into metallic material surfaces · CPC title