EP0036050A1 - Method of forming spark plug bodies - Google Patents
Method of forming spark plug bodies Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0036050A1 EP0036050A1 EP80301147A EP80301147A EP0036050A1 EP 0036050 A1 EP0036050 A1 EP 0036050A1 EP 80301147 A EP80301147 A EP 80301147A EP 80301147 A EP80301147 A EP 80301147A EP 0036050 A1 EP0036050 A1 EP 0036050A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- blank
- recess
- end portion
- cold
- process according
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21C—MANUFACTURE OF METAL SHEETS, WIRE, RODS, TUBES OR PROFILES, OTHERWISE THAN BY ROLLING; AUXILIARY OPERATIONS USED IN CONNECTION WITH METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL
- B21C23/00—Extruding metal; Impact extrusion
- B21C23/02—Making uncoated products
- B21C23/03—Making uncoated products by both direct and backward extrusion
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21K—MAKING FORGED OR PRESSED METAL PRODUCTS, e.g. HORSE-SHOES, RIVETS, BOLTS OR WHEELS
- B21K21/00—Making hollow articles not covered by a single preceding sub-group
- B21K21/08—Shaping hollow articles with different cross-section in longitudinal direction, e.g. nozzles, spark-plugs
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01T—SPARK GAPS; OVERVOLTAGE ARRESTERS USING SPARK GAPS; SPARKING PLUGS; CORONA DEVICES; GENERATING IONS TO BE INTRODUCED INTO NON-ENCLOSED GASES
- H01T21/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture or maintenance of spark gaps or sparking plugs
- H01T21/02—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture or maintenance of spark gaps or sparking plugs of sparking plugs
Definitions
- This invention relate to a method of manufacturing spark plug bodies.
- Conventional spark plug bodies comprise a central, usually cylindrical, portion, defining a radial flange for sealing the body to an aperture in an engine, a lower cylindrical portion which is formed with a thread, and an upper portion of non-circular, usually hexagonal, radial cross section which is adapted to be engaged by a spanner.
- the upper portion has a larger maximum diameter than the central portion, which is in turn of larger diameter than the lower portion. Since the widest part of the body is positioned at its upper end, such bodies can easily be manufactured using a cold extrusion process in which a metal blank is subjected to a sequence of forward extrusion steps in a set of dies of gradually decreasing diameters.
- the upper portion of the body should be of smaller maximum diameter than the central portion.
- the spark plug is positioned in a recess in the engine head.
- a smaller diameter upper portion facilitates access to the spark plug with a spanner.
- spark plug bodies have been manufactured by cold extrusion of a blank to produce the smaller-diameter lower portion and then forming the upper portion thereon by a machining operation. Since the upper portion is usually of hexagonal radial cross-sectional, such a maching operation is relatively expensive to perform, especially as a large scale production process.
- a method of manufacturing a spark plug body comprising the steps of shaping a cylindrical blank by cold extrusion to produce an axially elongated hollow body having a cylindrical pentral portion, and a first end portion having a circular radial cross-section of smaller diameter than the central portion, and forming on the opposite end a second end portion of non-circular radial cross-section of smaller maximum diameter than the central portion, characterised in that the second end portion is also formed by cold extrusion.
- the second end portion is preferably formed in two cold extrusion steps.
- the blank is extruded to form a recess in one end of the blank without decreasing the external diameter of the blank in the region of the recess.
- This recess is preferably formed to a depth sufficient to provide enough material in the walls of the recess for the formation of the second end portion and the central portion, leaving enough material for the formation of the first end portion in the remainder of the blank.
- the external diameter of the recessed end of the blank is reduced and formed into a non-circular cross-sectional shape, without decreasing the internal diameter of the recess.
- the mandrel is preferably movable relative to the die in the direction in which the blank is extruded.
- the mandrel is preferably movable relative to the die against the bias of means, such as a compression spring, which restores the mandrel to a starting position relative to the die when a formed blank has been removed from the die.
- the first end portion is preferably also formed in a two step process.
- the end of the blank is cold extruded to produce a solid cylindrical tail portion of reduced diameter.
- a recess is formed within the tail portion. This recess is of depth sufficient to form a cylindrical end portion of the required length so that the centre of the end portion can be punched out to produce a passage through the spark plug body for receiving an insulator.
- the tail portion is preferably formed in an initial cold extrusion step carried out on the blank.
- a cylindrical blank is cut from a circular-section bar of steel and is subjected to a series of cold extrusions in a six-stage cold forming press.
- the press includes a linear array of six cold extrusion stations each of which has a die and a plunger, for forcing a blank into the die, the plungers being positioned on one side of the machine and the dies being positioned on the other side of the machine.
- a transfer mechanism operates to index blanks cut from the steel bar successively through the six stations.
- the plunger 1 forces a cylindrical blank cut from the bar of steel into a first die 2 having cylindrical recess 3, the inner end of which is domed.
- the resulting bullet-shaped blank 4 is removed from the first die by means of a knock-out pin 5, which is held rigid during the movement of the plunger 1 into the die 2, and is transferred to a die 7 (Fig. 2) in the second station by the transfer mechanism (not shown).
- the bullet shaped blank is subjected to forward extrusion into a cylindrical recess 8 in the inner end of the die cavity 9 to partly form a solid cylindrical tail portion 10 on the blank of reduced diameter.
- the blank 4 is then transferred into a die 12 in the third station (Fig. 3) and subjected to cold extrusion therein by the plunger 14.
- the plunger 14 forms a recess 15 in one end 16 of the blank 4 by backward extrusion and elongates the tail portion 10.
- the extrusion also results in a slight "heading" or increase in the diameter of the blank 4.
- the recess 15 is formed in the blank to a depth sufficient to provide enough material in the walls 16 of the recess 15 (i.e. below the line A-A in Fig. 3) for all subsequent forming operations on the main body part of the blank, and to leave sufficient material in the tail portion 10 for all subsequent forming operations thereon. That is to say, during all the subsequent forming operations no material is extruded across line A-A in Figure 3 in either direction.
- the blank 4 is then removed from the third die 12 by a knock-out pin 18 and transferred into a die 19(Fig. 4) in the fourth station. During this transfer the blank 4 is inverted relative to the dies.
- Figure 4 illustrates the relative configuration of the fourth die 19, the plunger 20, knock-out pin 21 and blank 4 at the beginning of the working part of the stroke of the plunger 20, and Figure 5 illustrated their configuration at the end of the stroke.
- the plunger 20 includes a central recess having of complementary cross-section to the tail portion 10 of the blank 4.
- the die 19 includes a main cylindrical recess for receiving the recessed end of the blank 4 and a coaxial passage 23 of hexagonal radial cross-section in which a mandrel 24 is centrally positioned.
- the mandrel 24 is movable axially relative to the die 19 and is biased into the passage 23 by means of a compression spring 25.
- the recessed end of the blank 4 is forward extruded into the passage 23 around the mandrel 24 so that the maximum external diameter of the recessed end/of the blank 4 is reduced, but the internal diameter of the recess 15 is kept constant.
- the blank 4 is then transferred to a die 30 in the fifth station and is again inverted relative to the dies during this transfer.
- the fifth die 30 contains a main cylindrical bore 31 having a diameter equal to that of the central portion 28 of the blank 4, and cylindrical extension 32 at the end thereof receiving the tail portion 10 and closed by a knock-out pin 33 which remains fixed during the working part of the stroke of the plunger 34.
- the plunger 34 is of smaller diameter than the recess 15 and, when pressed into the blank 4 causes backward extrusion cf the tail portion 10 of the blank to form a recess 38 therein, as illustrated in Figure 7.
- the blank 4 is then transferred to a sixth station containing a die 40 having a recess similar to that of the die in the fifth station. However the tail 10 of the blank 4 abuts a hollow knock-out pin 42 having a central axial passage 43.
- the plunger 44 is of smaller diameter than the recess 38 in the tail portion 10 so that, when actuated, the plunger 44 punches out the end of the tail portion 10 to produce an axial passage through the blank.
- the shaped blank 4, illustrated in Figure 9 is then subjected to a finishing treatment in which a thread 50 is rolled on to the exteriar of the tail portion 10, the hexagonal end portion is undercut to form a hexagonal head 52, the ends 54, 55 of the blank 4 are milled smooth, and a side electrode 58 is welded on to the end of the tail portion 10, The body is then ready for assembly into a spark plug.
- the process described above therefore permits a non-circular, e.g. hexagonal end to be formed on the spark plug body which, like the tail portion 10, has a maximum diameter smaller than that of the central portion 28 of the body by means of a cold extrustion process which avoids complicated milling operations.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Forging (AREA)
- Spark Plugs (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This invention relate to a method of manufacturing spark plug bodies.
- Conventional spark plug bodies comprise a central, usually cylindrical, portion, defining a radial flange for sealing the body to an aperture in an engine, a lower cylindrical portion which is formed with a thread, and an upper portion of non-circular, usually hexagonal, radial cross section which is adapted to be engaged by a spanner.
- In most spark plugs, the upper portion has a larger maximum diameter than the central portion, which is in turn of larger diameter than the lower portion. Since the widest part of the body is positioned at its upper end, such bodies can easily be manufactured using a cold extrusion process in which a metal blank is subjected to a sequence of forward extrusion steps in a set of dies of gradually decreasing diameters.
- In some circumstances however, it is desirable that the upper portion of the body should be of smaller maximum diameter than the central portion. For example, in some engines the spark plug is positioned in a recess in the engine head. A smaller diameter upper portion facilitates access to the spark plug with a spanner.
- Hitherto such spark plug bodies have been manufactured by cold extrusion of a blank to produce the smaller-diameter lower portion and then forming the upper portion thereon by a machining operation. Since the upper portion is usually of hexagonal radial cross-sectional, such a maching operation is relatively expensive to perform, especially as a large scale production process.
- According to the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a spark plug body comprising the steps of shaping a cylindrical blank by cold extrusion to produce an axially elongated hollow body having a cylindrical pentral portion, and a first end portion having a circular radial cross-section of smaller diameter than the central portion, and forming on the opposite end a second end portion of non-circular radial cross-section of smaller maximum diameter than the central portion, characterised in that the second end portion is also formed by cold extrusion.
- The second end portion is preferably formed in two cold extrusion steps. In the first step, the blank is extruded to form a recess in one end of the blank without decreasing the external diameter of the blank in the region of the recess. This recess is preferably formed to a depth sufficient to provide enough material in the walls of the recess for the formation of the second end portion and the central portion, leaving enough material for the formation of the first end portion in the remainder of the blank. In the second extrusion step, the external diameter of the recessed end of the blank is reduced and formed into a non-circular cross-sectional shape, without decreasing the internal diameter of the recess. This is conveniently achieved by extruding the recessed end of the blank between a die and a mandrel positioned in the recess. In order to prevent the material from the other end of the blank from flowing over the mandrel, the mandrel is preferably movable relative to the die in the direction in which the blank is extruded. Where the die is to be used repeatedly, the mandrel is preferably movable relative to the die against the bias of means, such as a compression spring, which restores the mandrel to a starting position relative to the die when a formed blank has been removed from the die.
- The first end portion is preferably also formed in a two step process. In the first step the end of the blank is cold extruded to produce a solid cylindrical tail portion of reduced diameter. In the second stage a recess is formed within the tail portion. This recess is of depth sufficient to form a cylindrical end portion of the required length so that the centre of the end portion can be punched out to produce a passage through the spark plug body for receiving an insulator. The tail portion is preferably formed in an initial cold extrusion step carried out on the blank.
- A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which:-
- Figures 1 to 8 represent axial cross-sections through a series of dies in which a blank is successively cold extruded in accordance with the method of the invention.
- Figure 9 is an elevation of a blank which has been cold extruded in the dies illustrated in Figures 1 to 8, and
- Figure 10 is an elevation of a finished spark plug body produced from the extruded blank of Figure 9.
- Referring to Figures 1 to 8, a cylindrical blank is cut from a circular-section bar of steel and is subjected to a series of cold extrusions in a six-stage cold forming press. The press includes a linear array of six cold extrusion stations each of which has a die and a plunger, for forcing a blank into the die, the plungers being positioned on one side of the machine and the dies being positioned on the other side of the machine. A transfer mechanism operates to index blanks cut from the steel bar successively through the six stations.
- In the first station, illustrated in Figure 1, the plunger 1 forces a cylindrical blank cut from the bar of steel into a
first die 2 having cylindrical recess 3, the inner end of which is domed. The resulting bullet-shaped blank 4 is removed from the first die by means of a knock-outpin 5, which is held rigid during the movement of the plunger 1 into thedie 2, and is transferred to a die 7 (Fig. 2) in the second station by the transfer mechanism (not shown). - In the
second die 7, the bullet shaped blank is subjected to forward extrusion into a cylindrical recess 8 in the inner end of the die cavity 9 to partly form a solidcylindrical tail portion 10 on the blank of reduced diameter. The blank 4 is then transferred into adie 12 in the third station (Fig. 3) and subjected to cold extrusion therein by the plunger 14. The plunger 14 forms arecess 15 in oneend 16 of the blank 4 by backward extrusion and elongates thetail portion 10. The extrusion also results in a slight "heading" or increase in the diameter of the blank 4. - The
recess 15 is formed in the blank to a depth sufficient to provide enough material in thewalls 16 of the recess 15 (i.e. below the line A-A in Fig. 3) for all subsequent forming operations on the main body part of the blank, and to leave sufficient material in thetail portion 10 for all subsequent forming operations thereon. That is to say, during all the subsequent forming operations no material is extruded across line A-A in Figure 3 in either direction. - The blank 4 is then removed from the
third die 12 by a knock-outpin 18 and transferred into a die 19(Fig. 4) in the fourth station. During this transfer the blank 4 is inverted relative to the dies. - Figure 4 illustrates the relative configuration of the
fourth die 19, theplunger 20, knock-outpin 21 and blank 4 at the beginning of the working part of the stroke of theplunger 20, and Figure 5 illustrated their configuration at the end of the stroke. - The
plunger 20 includes a central recess having of complementary cross-section to thetail portion 10 of the blank 4. The die 19 includes a main cylindrical recess for receiving the recessed end of the blank 4 and acoaxial passage 23 of hexagonal radial cross-section in which amandrel 24 is centrally positioned. Themandrel 24 is movable axially relative to the die 19 and is biased into thepassage 23 by means of acompression spring 25. - As the plunger executes its working stroke, the recessed end of the blank 4 is forward extruded into the
passage 23 around themandrel 24 so that the maximum external diameter of the recessed end/of the blank 4 is reduced, but the internal diameter of therecess 15 is kept constant. - During the working stroke of the
plunger 19, themandrel 24 moves upwardly (as seen in Figures 4 and 5) relative to the die so that its position relative to thetail portion 10 of the blank 4 remains unaltered. The quantity of material in thecentral portion 28 of the blank 4 thus remains unaltered. - The blank 4 is then transferred to a
die 30 in the fifth station and is again inverted relative to the dies during this transfer. Thefifth die 30 contains a maincylindrical bore 31 having a diameter equal to that of thecentral portion 28 of the blank 4, andcylindrical extension 32 at the end thereof receiving thetail portion 10 and closed by a knock-outpin 33 which remains fixed during the working part of the stroke of theplunger 34. - The
plunger 34 is of smaller diameter than therecess 15 and, when pressed into the blank 4 causes backward extrusion cf thetail portion 10 of the blank to form a recess 38 therein, as illustrated in Figure 7. - The blank 4 is then transferred to a sixth station containing a
die 40 having a recess similar to that of the die in the fifth station. However thetail 10 of the blank 4 abuts a hollow knock-outpin 42 having a centralaxial passage 43. Theplunger 44 is of smaller diameter than the recess 38 in thetail portion 10 so that, when actuated, theplunger 44 punches out the end of thetail portion 10 to produce an axial passage through the blank. - The
shaped blank 4, illustrated in Figure 9 is then subjected to a finishing treatment in which athread 50 is rolled on to the exteriar of thetail portion 10, the hexagonal end portion is undercut to form ahexagonal head 52, theends side electrode 58 is welded on to the end of thetail portion 10, The body is then ready for assembly into a spark plug. - The process described above therefore permits a non-circular, e.g. hexagonal end to be formed on the spark plug body which, like the
tail portion 10, has a maximum diameter smaller than that of thecentral portion 28 of the body by means of a cold extrustion process which avoids complicated milling operations.
Claims (10)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB8009299 | 1980-03-19 | ||
GB8009299 | 1980-03-19 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0036050A1 true EP0036050A1 (en) | 1981-09-23 |
EP0036050B1 EP0036050B1 (en) | 1984-03-28 |
Family
ID=10512219
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP80301147A Expired EP0036050B1 (en) | 1980-03-19 | 1980-04-10 | Method of forming spark plug bodies |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0036050B1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE3067236D1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO1994010731A1 (en) * | 1992-10-30 | 1994-05-11 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Tubular metal housing for spark plugs, heater plugs and sensors |
US6373173B1 (en) | 1999-01-25 | 2002-04-16 | Ngk Spark Plug Co., Ltd. | Spark plug |
WO2004054739A1 (en) * | 2002-12-16 | 2004-07-01 | Hartmut Flaig | Screw plug made of a metallic material, method for the production thereof, corresponding blank, and corresponding tool |
Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB747572A (en) * | 1952-09-30 | 1956-04-11 | Bosch Gmbh Robert | A method of press-forming hollow members |
Family Cites Families (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1672082A (en) * | 1923-03-28 | 1928-06-05 | Bridgeport Brass Co | Method of making tire-valve caps and the like |
US1726264A (en) * | 1928-08-17 | 1929-08-27 | Francis F Hamilton | Method of making spark plugs |
DE934265C (en) * | 1951-04-19 | 1955-10-13 | Fritz Bernhard Hatebur | Process for the production of hollow hollow metal bodies which are at least simply stepped on the outside, in particular, spark plug housings |
GB782944A (en) * | 1954-06-11 | 1957-09-18 | Bosch Gmbh Robert | A method of press-forming hollow members |
DE1087879B (en) * | 1958-04-19 | 1960-08-25 | Malmedie & Co Maschf | Process for pressing spark plug housings |
US3072933A (en) * | 1959-01-26 | 1963-01-15 | Textron Ind Inc | Method of extruding shank portions with 50% or less cross-sectional area than that of the original blanks |
US3186209A (en) * | 1960-04-14 | 1965-06-01 | Nat Machinery Co | Method of cold forming an elongated hollow article |
-
1980
- 1980-04-10 DE DE8080301147T patent/DE3067236D1/en not_active Expired
- 1980-04-10 EP EP80301147A patent/EP0036050B1/en not_active Expired
Patent Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB747572A (en) * | 1952-09-30 | 1956-04-11 | Bosch Gmbh Robert | A method of press-forming hollow members |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO1994010731A1 (en) * | 1992-10-30 | 1994-05-11 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Tubular metal housing for spark plugs, heater plugs and sensors |
US6373173B1 (en) | 1999-01-25 | 2002-04-16 | Ngk Spark Plug Co., Ltd. | Spark plug |
WO2004054739A1 (en) * | 2002-12-16 | 2004-07-01 | Hartmut Flaig | Screw plug made of a metallic material, method for the production thereof, corresponding blank, and corresponding tool |
US9567882B2 (en) | 2002-12-16 | 2017-02-14 | Hartmut Flaig | Screw plug made of a metallic material, method for the production thereof, corresponding blank, and corresponding tool |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE3067236D1 (en) | 1984-05-03 |
EP0036050B1 (en) | 1984-03-28 |
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