Low cost hermetically sealed squib

Claim 1

A process for manufacturing an igniter squib comprising: forming a cylindrical cup means of electrically conductive weldable material, said cup means having a closed end and an open end having an inside diameter and a circumferential surface; said cup having an inner diameter; forming a cylindrical header means for insertion into said open end of said cup, said header means having longitudinal passageway therethrough from an interior end to an exterior end and having an electrically conductive weldable member having a circumferential surface mating with said circumferential surface of said cup means; said header having an outer diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of said cup; mounting electrically conductive pins in said passageway and hermetically sealing said pins in said header means whereby at least one of said pins is electrically insulated from said circumferential surface of said header means; mounting an initiating element means having electrical terminal means on said interior end of said header means; joining said pins to respective said terminal means of said initiating element means; placing a measured charge of pyrotechnic material in said cup means; encasing exposed portions of said header means in insulative material by sealingly joining a plastic jacket to said exposed portions with an adhesive; force fitting said interior end of said header means into said open end of said cup means and compressing said pyrotechnic material; and welding said mating circumferential surface of said header means to said mating circumferential surface of said pyrotechnic containing cup means in a continuous high-temperature weld to hermetically seal said pyrotechnic material and said initiating element means.