Patent ID: 7832335

Claim:
An inertial igniter for use with a thermal battery for producing power upon acceleration, the inertial igniter comprising: a base; two or more posts extending from the base; a mass movable towards the base, the mass having a recess at least partially corresponding to each of the two or more posts for guiding movement of the mass towards the base, each post further having a hole and the mass further having two or more concave portions; a locking ball disposed in each of the holes, each locking ball having a portion disposed in the concave portion for preventing relative movement of the mass with the base when an acceleration time profile is below a predetermined threshold; and a biasing spring including a portion for preventing the locking balls from leaving the concave portion when the acceleration time profile is below the predetermined threshold and for allowing the locking balls to leave the concave portion when the acceleration time profile is below the predetermined threshold to unlock the mass and permit movement of the mass relative to the base.