Shaped Feed-Through Element With Soldered Contact Rod
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current feed-through elements for pyrotechnic person protection devices, such as airbag igniters, are costly to produce and lack mechanical stability due to the need for precise shaping and high material costs, particularly in forming access openings and ensuring hermetic sealing.
Innovation Solution
A feed-through element with a metal support body formed by shaping, featuring access openings with a predominantly cylindrical profile and a soldered connection that ensures hermetic sealing, using cold forming and/or stamping to reduce production costs and improve mechanical stability, and employing a nickel coating for corrosion resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metal rods are fixed in glass material with welding, then hermetic sealing is achieved, but production complexity and cost increase due to surface grinding requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the joining parameter from welding to soldering, and the surface preparation from ground to non-ground. The soldering process allows direct joining of metal rods to the support body without requiring ground surfaces, thereby reducing production complexity while maintaining hermetic sealing through the solder material itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical welding process with a soldering process. Instead of using welding equipment and ground surfaces, the invention uses solder material that flows into the access openings and creates hermetic seals through capillary action and metallurgical bonding, eliminating the need for surface grinding.
2Reliability
If precision positioning of metal rods in glass material is required, then hermetic sealing is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The solder material performs multiple functions simultaneously: it positions the metal rods, creates hermetic seals, and provides electrical connections. The self-flowing nature of the solder during manufacturing allows automatic positioning and sealing without requiring high-precision pre-positioning of the metal rods, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite approach where solder material (a composite of metal particles and flux) is applied to create both mechanical and hermetic seals. This composite material fills the access openings and bonds the metal rods to the support body, providing both positioning and sealing functions in a single material system.
3Ease of manufacture
If access openings are formed by drilling, then metal rod placement is achieved, but production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the access opening formation and metal rod placement operations into a single stamping process. The stamping tool creates the access openings and simultaneously positions the metal rods during the same manufacturing step, eliminating the need for separate drilling and positioning operations, thereby significantly improving production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The stamping process performs preliminary action by creating access openings with precise geometry and positioning the metal rods in their final locations during the forming operation itself. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for subsequent adjustment or repositioning steps, streamlining the manufacturing process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables the production of feed-through elements with improved mechanical stability and reduced costs, capable of withstanding high explosive pressures and maintaining hermetic sealing, thus suitable for use in airbag igniters and seatbelt tensioners.
Implementation Method 1
a further metal rod is fixed by a soldered connection in at least one solder region in this access opening, the solder material of the soldered connection electrically conductively filling a solder gap between the metal rod and the inner wall of the second access opening inside the solder region
Implementation Method 2
Both the outer contour of the support body and the first access opening are formed by a shaping process... the at least one second access opening, in which the metal rod is fixed by the soldered connection, likewise to be formed by a shaping process which is configured so that this access opening has a predominantly cylindrical profile
Data Source
AI summary
A feed-through element of an ignition device for igniters of airbags or seatbelt tighteners is provided. The feed-through element has a metal support body, at least one first access opening in which a metal rod is arranged in an electrically insulating fixing material, and at least one second access opening in which a further metal rod is electrically conductively fixed to the support body by a soldered connection in this access opening. The support body and the access openings are configured as a shaped part. The feed-through element further includes a solder gap between the metal rod and the wall of the second access opening, where the solder gap has a small width.