IGNITER, IGNITER ASSEMBLY, AND DETECTION SYSTEM AND DETECTION METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20160052481A1
• Filed: 03/18/2013
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daicel Corporation, Hitachi Systems, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Daicel Corporation, Hitachi Systems, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: YUI, Takaaki, YAMAUCHI, Shigeru, TOMOI, Kenichiro, SAKAI, Toshiyuki, ODA, Shingo
• Granted Patent: US 9,688,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26029 Ignitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2644 using only solid reacting substances, e.g. pellets, powder
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/121 Initiators with incorporated integrated circuit

Abstract

This igniter has a heating element, an ignition agent positioned so as to be in contact with the heating element, and conductive pins that pass through an insulating layer, and are electrically connected to the heating element. One end of each conductive pin is exposed through the insulating layer in such a manner that a current supply component, which supplies an ignition current, is connected to the heating element. An IC tag is positioned inside the insulating layer, in the vicinity of the conductive pins.

Claims

1. An igniter comprising:

a heating element;

an ignition agent disposed in contact with the heating element; and

a conductive pin penetrating an insulating layer and electrically connected to the heating element,

wherein the other end of the conductive pin is exposed from the insulating layer in order to be connected with a current supply component for supplying an ignition current to the heating element, and

an IC tag is disposed in the insulating layer and in the vicinity of the conductive pin.

2. The igniter according to claim 1,

wherein the igniter is an igniter for instantaneously deploying a vehicle occupant restraint apparatus.

3. The igniter according to claim 2,

wherein the IC tag includes an IC chip, and a coil antenna wound around the IC chip, and

wherein the IC tag has a surface of the coil antenna positioned at a right angle or an angle close to the right angle at the conductive pin.

4. An igniter assembly integrating an igniter and an igniter collar,

the igniter comprising:

a heating element;

an ignition agent disposed in contact with the heating element; and

a conductive pin penetrating an insulating layer and electrically connected to the heating element,

wherein the other end of the conductive pin is exposed from the insulating layer in order to be connected with a current supply component for supplying an ignition current to the heating element.

5. The igniter assembly according to claim 4,

wherein two or more of the conductive pins are disposed;

wherein an IC tag is disposed in the insulating layer and in the vicinity of any one of the plurality of conductive pins; and

wherein the igniter collar surrounding the insulating layer and retaining the igniter assembly is provided with a positioning portion at a position corresponding to the IC tag.

6. The IC tag incorporated igniter assembly according to claim 5,

wherein the positioning portion is a concavo-convex structure which is disposed at a flange of the igniter collar and extended perpendicularly to an axis passing through the center of the plurality of conductive pins.

7. The IC tag incorporated igniter assembly according to claim 5,

wherein the positioning portion is a detection mark which is disposed at a flange of the igniter collar in order to be detected by an optical detecting mechanism.

8. A detection system for igniter assembly which employs an IC tag communication reader/writer,

the igniter assembly comprising:

a metallic shield vessel; and

an igniter fixed in the metallic shield vessel,

the igniter including;

a heating element; and

a plurality of conductive pins electrically connected to the heating element via an insulating layer,

wherein the plurality of conductive pins have the other ends extending in a connection space in the metallic shield vessel for connection of a current supply component,

an IC tag is disposed in the insulating layer and in the vicinity of any one of the plurality of conductive pins, and

the connection space is utilized as a window through which the IC tag is detected by the IC tag communication reader/writer.

9. The detection system for igniter assembly according to claim 8,

wherein the metallic shield vessel is provided with a positioning portion for the IC tag communication reader/writer at a position corresponding to the IC tag,

the IC tag communication reader/writer includes an antenna circuit for emitting electromagnetic waves for IC tag communication, and a detection portion,

a coil of the detection portion is in parallel to a coil surface of the IC tag in a state where an engagement portion of the IC tag communication reader/writer is matched with the metallic shield vessel,

the detection portion and the IC tag are electromagnetically coupled via magnetic flux when the detection portion and the IC tag are fixed at places within a predetermined distance, and

when the detection portion and the IC tag are fixed at places spaced more than the predetermined distance, the detection portion and the IC tag are outside a detectable range via the magnetic flux.

10. The detection system for igniter assembly according to claim 9,

wherein the IC tag communication reader/writer includes:

an antenna circuit disposed in a main body thereof;

the detection portion integrally disposed at a distal end of the main body; and

an engagement portion,

wherein the detection portion is connected to a signal transmission portion extended outwardly from the distal end of the main body,

the detection portion is configured as a detecting coil directed perpendicularly to an axis of the signal transmission portion, and

the detection portion is fixed at a predetermined position in the connection space for current supply component in the igniter by mechanically mating the engagement portion with the positioning portion.

11. The detection system for igniter assembly according to claim 9,

wherein the IC tag communication reader/writer includes:

a first antenna circuit disposed in a main body thereof;

a second antenna, a signal transmission portion and a detection portion which are integrally provided as a member separated from the main body; and

an engagement portion disposed at the second antenna,

wherein the detection portion is configured as a detecting coil directed perpendicularly to an axis of the signal transmission portion, and

the detection portion is fixed at a predetermined position in the space in the igniter by mechanically mating the engagement portion with the positioning portion.

12. An igniter assembly detection method employing an IC tag communication reader/writer, the igniter assembly comprising:

a metallic shield vessel including a positioning portion; and

an igniter fixed in the metallic shield vessel,

the igniter including;

a heating element; and

a plurality of conductive pins electrically connected to the heating element via an insulating layer,

wherein the plurality of conductive pins have the other ends extending in a connection space in the metallic shield vessel for connection of for current supply component,

an IC tag is disposed in the insulating layer and in the vicinity of any one of the plurality of conductive pins, and

the IC tag communication reader/writer includes an antenna circuit emitting electromagnetic waves for IC tag communication, and a detection portion,

the method comprising;

setting the IC tag communication reader/writer in the metallic shield vessel; and

detecting the IC tag by utilizing the connection space as a window.

13. The igniter assembly detection method according to claim 12, further including:

setting the IC tag communication reader/writer to the positioning portion of the metallic shield vessel;

determining that the pair of conductive pins is connected to the igniter at normal positions, when electromagnetic coupling between the detection portion and the IC tag via magnetic flux is detected; and

determining that the pair of conductive pins is not connected to the igniter at normal positions, when the electromagnetic coupling between the detection portion and the IC tag via magnetic flux cannot be detected.

14. The igniter assembly detection method according to claim 13,

wherein the IC tag includes an IC chip, and a coil antenna wound around the IC chip, and

the IC tag has a surface of the coil antenna positioned at a right angle to the conductive pin,

performing IC tag communication with the IC tag communication reader/writer by inducing information on the IC tag inversely from the secondary current to the primary current, when the IC tag is energized by inducing a secondary current from a high-frequency primary current.

15. The igniter assembly detection method according to claim 14,

performing IC tag communication with the IC tag by electromagnetically coupling the detection portion to the IC tag via magnetic flux, when the IC tag communication reader/writer is matched with the metallic shield vessel, a coil of the detection portion is in parallel to a coil surface of the IC tag, and only when the detection portion and the IC tag are fixed at places within a predetermined distance.