Semiconductor igniter

US6220164A · kind A · utility

Assignees

• Daimlerchrysler AG · US
• TRW AIRBAG SYSTEMS GMBH · DE

Inventors

• Horst Laucht · Bruckmühl, DE
• Gerhard Mueller · Meitingen, DE
• Wolfgang Welser · Tauberbischofsheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 9, 1999
• Grant date: Apr 24, 2001
• Expiry date: Apr 9, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F42B3/13
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

In the case of a semiconductor igniter, particularly for the gas generator of a protection system for vehicle occupants, consisting of a semiconductor layer which is arranged on a carrier with the insertion of a thermal insulation layer, is connected at the end side to electric contact areas and during the current passage in the ignition path range heats up in an ignition-triggering manner, while maintaining a high ignition efficiency, a mechanically secure linking of the semiconductor layer to the carrier is achieved in that the thermal insulation layer is limited to the ignition path range of the semiconductor layer and the semiconductor layer is connected directly with the carrier at its end sections kept free of the thermal insulation layer.