METAL-SEALING MATERIAL-FEEDTHROUGH AND UTILIZATION OF THE METAL-SEALING MATERIAL FEEDTHROUGH WITH AN AIRBAG, A BELT TENSIONING DEVICE, AND AN IGNITION DEVICE

• US 20070187934A1
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schott AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Schott AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Fink, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,127,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/737
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/103 Mounting initiator heads in initiators; Sealing-plugs
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/198 of electric initiator heads e.g., testing, machines

Abstract

The present invention relates to a metal-sealing material-feedthrough for igniters of airbags or belt tensioning devices, especially glass-metal-feedthrough, including at least one metal pin which is located in a feedthrough opening in the base body in a sealing material, wherein the base body has a front side and a back side. Structure is provided between the front and the back side in order to avoid a relative movement of sealing material in the direction toward the back relative to the inside circumference of the feedthrough opening. At least the feedthrough opening is punched out of the base body. The base body is configured so that the ratio of thickness (D) of the base body to the maximum dimension of the feedthrough opening vertical to the axis direction of the feedthrough opening is in the range of between and including 0.9 to 1.6.

Claims

1. A metal-sealing material-feedthrough for igniters of one of a plurality of airbags and a plurality of belt tensioning devices, comprising:

a base body including a feedthrough opening, a front side, and a back side, said base body being configured such that a ratio of a thickness of said base body to a maximum dimension of said feedthrough opening vertical to an axis direction of said feedthrough opening is in a range of between and including approximately 0.5 to 2.5;

a sealing material;

at least one first metal pin which is located in said feedthrough opening in said base body in said sealing material; and

a structure between said front side and said back side, said structure being configured for avoiding a relative movement of said sealing material in a direction toward said back side relative to an inside circumference of said feedthrough opening.

2. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said ratio is in a range of between and including approximately 0.8 to 1.6.

3. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said ratio is in a range of between and including approximately 0.9 to 1.4.

4. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said ratio is in a range of between and including approximately 0.9 to 1.3.

5. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said ratio is in a range of between and including approximately 1.0 to 1.2.

6. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said thickness of said base body is between 1 mm and 5 mm.

7. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said thickness of said base body is between 1.5 mm and 3.5 mm.

8. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said thickness of said base body is between 1.8 mm to 3.0 mm.

9. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said thickness of said base body is between 2.0 mm to 2.6 mm.

10. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said feedthrough opening has a circular cross section.

11. The metal-sealing material feedthrough in accordance with claim 10, wherein one of a largest possible dimension and diameter of said feedthrough opening is in a range of 1 mm to 4 mm.

12. The metal-sealing material feedthrough in accordance with claim 10, wherein one of a largest possible dimension and diameter of said feedthrough opening is in a range of 1.4 mm to 3.5 mm.

13. The metal-sealing material feedthrough in accordance with claim 10, wherein one of a largest possible dimension and diameter of said feedthrough opening is in a range of 1.6 mm to 3.4 mm.

14. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said feedthrough opening has an oval cross section.

15. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said feedthrough opening has an elliptical cross section.

16. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said base body with said feedthrough opening is in a form of a punched component.

17. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 16, wherein said punched component is a ground.

18. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said structure is one of an integral component of said base body and a structural unit with said base body.

19. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said structure includes at least one undercut on said inside circumference of said feedthrough opening in said base body between said back side and said front side, said at least one undercut originating from said back side.

20. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 19, wherein said at least one undercut includes at least one protrusion.

21. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 20, wherein said feedthrough opening includes a first partial segment and a second partial segment, said first partial segment extending from said back side in a direction of said front side, said second partial segment extending from said front side in a direction of said back side, said at least one protrusion being formed by said first partial segment extending from said back side in said direction of said front side, said first partial segment including smaller inside dimensions, both said first and said second partial segments possessing a uniform geometry along respective lengths of said first and said second partial segments with constant inside dimensions in respective said first and said second partial segments.

22. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 20, wherein said feedthrough opening includes a first partial segment and a second partial segment, said first partial segment extending from said back side in a direction of said front side, said second partial segment extending from said front side in a direction of said back side, said at least one protrusion being formed by said first partial segment extending from said back side in said direction of said front side, said first partial segment including smaller inside dimensions, both said first and said second partial segments possessing at least one of a different geometry and different inside dimensions along respective lengths of said first and said second partial segments.

23. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 22, said second partial segment includes a progressive reduction in dimensions originating from said front side up to said first partial segment.

24. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 22, wherein said feedthrough opening includes a circular cross section, at least said second partial segment extending from said front side in said direction of said back side is conical.

25. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 24, wherein at least said first partial segment extending from said back side in said direction of said front side is conical.

26. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 20, wherein said undercut is located centrally.

27. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 20, wherein said at least one undercut is respectively in both a direction of said front side and a direction of said back side, said feedthrough opening including a first partial segment extending from said back side in said direction of said front side, a second partial section adjacent to said first partial segment, and a third partial segment extending from said front side in said direction of said back side, said second partial segment including smaller dimensions of said feedthrough opening than said first partial segment and said third partial segment.

28. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 27, wherein said first and said third partial segments have identical cross sectional dimensions.

29. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 20, wherein said at least one protrusion includes a plurality of protrusions located adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction on a common length between said front side and said back side.

30. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 20, wherein said feedthrough opening includes a dimensional reduction vertical to said direction of an axis of said feedthrough opening originating from said axis, said dimensional reduction resulting from said at least one undercut and being always in a range of between 0.05 mm to 1 mm.

31. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 20, wherein said feedthrough opening includes a dimensional reduction vertical to said direction of an axis of said feedthrough opening originating from said axis, said dimensional reduction resulting from said at least one undercut and being always in a range of between 0.08 mm to 0.9 mm mm.

32. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 20, wherein said feedthrough opening includes a dimensional reduction vertical to said direction of an axis of said feedthrough opening originating from said axis, viewed in axial cross section, which is always in a range of between 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm, said dimensional reduction resulting from said at least one undercut.

33. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a sealing material slug, wherein said structure includes at least one frictional connection between said sealing material slug and a part of said feedthrough opening.

34. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said structure includes an element which is inserted into said feedthrough opening, at least one of said inside circumference of said feedthrough opening and an outside circumference of said element possesses a roughness of ≧

10 μ

m.

35. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said structure is provided on said metal pin, said structure being configured for preventing a relative movement of said metal pin relative to said sealing material.

36. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 35, wherein said structure configured for preventing said relative movement of said metal pin relative to said sealing material includes at least one protrusion in a radial direction on said metal pin.

37. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 36, wherein said at least one protrusion is an integral part of said metal pin.

38. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 36, wherein said at least one protrusion includes an element that is connected with said metal pin.

39. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 36, wherein said structure configured for preventing said relative movement of said metal pin relative to said sealing material includes a plurality of protrusions adjacent to each other in an axial direction and located on said metal pin in said radial direction.

40. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a second metal pin.

41. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 40, wherein said at least one first metal pin and said second metal pin are located parallel to each other.

42. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 40, wherein said second metal pin is a grounding pin and is ground at said back side of said base body.

43. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a sleeve of said base body, wherein said at least one first metal pin is located in said sealing material in said feedthrough opening in said base body and in said sleeve of said base body which is grounded.

44. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a sealing material slug, wherein said at least one first metal pin is connected firmly with said sealing material slug.

45. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 44, wherein said at least one first metal pin is fused with said sealing material.

46. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said sealing material includes a glass slug formed from one of a molten glass and a high performance polymer.

47. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said base body is standard steel.

48. The metal-sealing material-feedthrough in accordance with claim 1, wherein said base body is a type of steel including one of stainless steel, X12CrMoS17, X5CrNi1810, XCrNiS189, X2CrNit1911, X12CrNi177, X5CrNiMo17-12-2, X6CrNiMoTi17-12-2, X6CrNiTi1810, X15CrNiSi25-20, X10CrNi1808, X2CrNiMo17-12-2, and X6CrNiMoTi17-12-2.

49. An ignition device for airbags, said ignition device comprising a metal-sealing material-feedthrough including:

a base body including a feedthrough opening, a front side, and a back side, said base body being configured such that a ratio of a thickness of said base body to a maximum dimension of said feedthrough opening vertical to an axis direction of said feedthrough opening is in a range of between and including approximately 0.5 to 2.5;

a sealing material;

at least one first metal pin which is located in said feedthrough opening in said base body in said sealing material; and

a structure between said front side and said back side, said structure being configured for avoiding a relative movement of said sealing material in a direction toward said back side relative to an inside circumference of said feedthrough opening.

50. An ignition device for belt tensioning devices, said ignition device comprising a metal-sealing material-feedthrough including:

a base body including a feedthrough opening, a front side, and a back side, said base body being configured such that a ratio of a thickness of said base body to a maximum dimension of said feedthrough opening vertical to an axis direction of said feedthrough opening is in a range of between and including approximately 0.5 to 2.5;

a sealing material;

at least one first metal pin which is located in said feedthrough opening in said base body in said sealing material; and

a structure between said front side and said back side, said structure being configured for avoiding a relative movement of said sealing material in a direction toward said back side relative to an inside circumference of said feedthrough opening.

51. A gas generator comprising an ignition device including a metal-sealing material-feedthrough, said metal-sealing material-feedthrough including:

a base body including a feedthrough opening, a front side, and a back side, said base body being configured such that a ratio of a thickness of said base body to a maximum dimension of said feedthrough opening vertical to an axis direction of said feedthrough opening is in a range of between and including approximately 0.5 to 2.5;

a sealing material;

at least one first metal pin which is located in said feedthrough opening in said base body in said sealing material; and

a structure between said front side and said back side, said structure being configured for avoiding a relative movement of said sealing material in a direction toward said back side relative to an inside circumference of said feedthrough opening.

52. The gas generator in accordance with claim 51, wherein the gas generator is one of a cold gas generator and a hybrid generator.

53. An airbag comprising an ignition device including a metal-sealing material-feedthrough, said metal-sealing material-feedthrough including:

a base body including a feedthrough opening, a front side, and a back side, said base body being configured such that a ratio of a thickness of said base body to a maximum dimension of said feedthrough opening vertical to an axis direction of said feedthrough opening is in a range of between and including approximately 0.5 to 2.5;

a sealing material;

at least one first metal pin which is located in said feedthrough opening in said base body in said sealing material; and

a structure between said front side and said back side, said structure being configured for avoiding a relative movement of said sealing material in a direction toward said back side relative to an inside circumference of said feedthrough opening.

54. A belt tensioning device comprising an ignition device including a metal-sealing material-feedthrough, said metal-sealing material-feedthrough including:

a base body including a feedthrough opening, a front side, and a back side, said base body being configured such that a ratio of a thickness of said base body to a maximum dimension of said feedthrough opening vertical to an axis direction of said feedthrough opening is in a range of between and including approximately 0.5 to 2.5;

a sealing material;

at least one first metal pin which is located in said feedthrough opening in said base body in said sealing material; and

a structure between said front side and said back side, said structure being configured for avoiding a relative movement of said sealing material in a direction toward said back side relative to an inside circumference of said feedthrough opening.