Patent ID: 8607703

Claim:
A miniature piston electronic thermal battery initiator (ETBI) actuator device for actuating an electronic thermal battery, said device comprising: a header, said header having a first end and a second end, said first end comprising a planar surface, said planar surface having a shoulder cut-out around perimeter of said first end, said header defining an aperture through center portion of said header extending from said first end to said second end, said header size corresponding to an M100 designation, outer diameter of said header being approximately 0.100 inch; not more than one electrode having a first end and a second end, said first end of said electrode extending within said aperture of said header, said first end of said electrode being flush with said planar surface of said first end of said header; a glass insulator within said aperture of said header, said glass insulator providing a glass fill seal between said electrode and said aperture of said header, said glass insulator being flush with said planar surface of said first end of said header; a bridgewire forming a circuit between said header and said electrode, said header and said bridgewire comprising a header/bridgewire assembly, wherein resistance of said bridgewire is controlled to ensure that a minimum all-fire energy of said device is available from a firing circuit; a ferrule assembled to said header/bridgewire assembly, said ferrule comprising a ring having a first end and a second end, dimensions of said second end of said ferrule corresponding to said shoulder cut of said header, said second end of said ferrule is located in said shoulder cut of said first end of said header; charge material within said ferrule, said charge material filled to plane of said first end of said ferrule, said charge material adapted to be activated by a current through said bridgewire; reliability of said piston actuator activation exceeds approximately 99.5 percent said activated charge material becoming an expanding gas; a piston proximate said charge material, said piston moved to provide mechanical output by said charge material expanding gas, said piston, said header, said ferrule, and said bridgewire comprising a piston header ferrule/bridgewire assembly; and a discrete housing around said piston header ferrule/bridgewire assembly, said housing having a first end and a second end, said first end of said housing defining an opening through which said second end of said single electrode extends, diameter of said opening of said first end of said housing being less than said diameter of said header, said housing having a cylindrical inner diameter larger than said diameter of said header, said header, ferrule, and piston slidingly fit within said housing, said second end of said housing open to receive said piston header ferrule/bridgewire assembly, said piston providing said mechanical output to initiate said electronic thermal battery by striking said electronic thermal battery.