EP0451264B1 - Spark plug with a open-ring shaped ground electrode - Google Patents

Spark plug with a open-ring shaped ground electrode Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0451264B1
EP0451264B1 EP91900245A EP91900245A EP0451264B1 EP 0451264 B1 EP0451264 B1 EP 0451264B1 EP 91900245 A EP91900245 A EP 91900245A EP 91900245 A EP91900245 A EP 91900245A EP 0451264 B1 EP0451264 B1 EP 0451264B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
ground electrode
spark plug
electrode
insulator
open
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP91900245A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0451264A1 (en
Inventor
James E. Johnson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Ultra Performance International Inc
Original Assignee
Ultra Performance International Inc
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ultra Performance International Inc filed Critical Ultra Performance International Inc
Publication of EP0451264A1 publication Critical patent/EP0451264A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0451264B1 publication Critical patent/EP0451264B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • 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
    • H01T13/00—Sparking plugs
    • H01T13/20—Sparking plugs characterised by features of the electrodes or insulation
    • H01T13/32—Sparking plugs characterised by features of the electrodes or insulation characterised by features of the earthed electrode
    • 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
    • H01T13/00—Sparking plugs
    • H01T13/46—Sparking plugs having two or more spark gaps
    • H01T13/467—Sparking plugs having two or more spark gaps in parallel connection

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a spark plug for an internal combustion engine having a metal shell at least partially enclosing an insulator the containing a conductive centre electrode, the centre electrode having a bottom end exiting from the insulator at a bottom end of spark plug, the bottom end of the centre electrode being spaced apart from a ground electrode attached to the metal shell by at least one support member.
  • a known spark plug is provided with an annular tapered curved fork as a spark plug ground electrode for the purpose of "conducting excessive heat away".
  • the central electrode terminates in a position on a plane with the ground electrode so that the spark is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the spark plug.
  • Such a spark geometry does not provide for a large surface area to promote active combustion.
  • EP-A-0 167 687 shows a spark plug having a ground electrode in the shape of an open round frame concentrically arranged above a centre electrode.
  • the inner diameter of the open round frame is greater than the diameter of the centre electrode, so as to create a sloping type discharging pattern.
  • the spark plug is characterized by the features of independent claim 1.
  • the gap has two parallel edges or two radial edges. The distance of the edges of the gap range from 0 mm to 2,5 mm.
  • the at least one support member is a reversed L-shaped supporting bracket. One leg of the reversed L-shaped supporting bracket is located in the plane of the open-ring shaped ground electrode.
  • the open-ring shaped ground electrode is attached to the metal shell by at least three spaced support members.
  • the open-ring shaped ground electrode may be integral with and at a sharp right angle to at least one support element, the support element being integral with a mounting ring at an end distal from the ground electrode, the mounting ring being in a plane parallel to the open-ring shaped ground electrode.
  • the metal shell lower end is a shank skirt crimped over the mounting ring to hold the ground electrode in position or by welding .
  • the open-ring shaped ground electrode attached to the bottom of the metal shell has an uniform diameter, encircling the centre electrode on a plane about 0.89 to 1.22 mm below the centre electrode, and a gap with parallel edges.
  • the back end of the open-ring shaped ground electrode is integral at a sharp right angle with a first end of at least one support element, the support element being integral with a mounting ring at a second end.
  • the metal shell has a bottom shank skirt with spaced apart notches on a lowest edge and an annular shelf on an inner surface, the mounting ring being crimped in place on the annular shelf by bending the shank skirt inwardly or by welding, and the gap is diametrically opposite to at least one support element.
  • Fig. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the spark plug.
  • Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the ground electrode component in relation to the bottom of the spark plug of Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the ground electrode mounted within a spark plug cup of the spark plug of Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 4 is an isometric view of the ground electrode in the spark plug cup of Fig. 3 showing the method of locking the ground electrode in place.
  • Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the spark plug of Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 6 is an exploded view of an alternate ground electrode component in relation to a spark plug cup.
  • Fig. 7 is an isometric view of the ground electrode component of Fig. 6 welded in place.
  • Fig. 8 is an elevation view of the spark plug of Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 9 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the spark plug.
  • Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of the spark plug of Fig. 9.
  • Fig. 11 is a plan view of a stamped blank of a open-ring shaped electrode and the attached mounting posts.
  • Fig. 12 is an elevation view of the open-ring shaped electrode and the attached mounting post realized with the stamped blank of Fig. 11.
  • spark plug has been shown in a base up position in the drawings for ease of description. However, the base is considered in its usual lower position for purposes of the description that follows.
  • Spark plug 10 shown in Fig. 1 is a conventional internal combustion engine spark plug except for the open-ring shaped ground electrode 12 substituted for the rod like ground electrode seen in conventional spark plugs.
  • the spark plug 10 shown in Fig. 1 has a terminal element 14 connected to a coil wire (not shown).
  • a high quality insulator such as a ceramic material 16 encapsulates a central electrode which terminates at the bottom of the spark plug 10 as exposed central electrode 18.
  • the ceramic material could be substituted with a high temperature resistant copolymer.
  • the bottom portion of the spark plug 10 has a metal shell 20 and a nut portion 22.
  • the shell 20 terminates in a shank 24 which has a shank skirt 26.
  • the interior portion of the shank 24 is in the shape of a cup 28.
  • the centre electrode 18 is located in the centre of the cup 28.
  • the interior surface of the shank skirt 26 has an inwardly protruding annular shelf 30.
  • the ground electrode 12 of the invention is open-ring shaped and has a gap 36 defined by two arms 32 and 34 having two substantially parallel edges 36a and 36b.
  • the distance between the parallel edges 36a and 36b is of about 0 to .098 of an inch or 0 to 2.5 mm.
  • a mounting post 38 attached at a first end 40 to the back end of the open-ring shaped ground electrode 12 and at a second end 42 to a mounting ring 44.
  • the ground electrode component 46 consisting of the mounting ring 44, the mounting post 38 and the open-ring shaped electrode 12 is preferably cast from a high quality metal such as a nickel/chromium alloy, platinum alloy and the like.
  • the sharp right angle 48 of mounting post 38 is important to enhance the spark qualities to be discussed hereafter.
  • the ground electrode component 46 is dropped on top of shelf 30 as shown in Fig. 2 with the spark plug 10 in an inverted position. Notches 50 are vertically cut in the edge 52 of shank skirt 26. The metal sections 54 between notches 50 are bent or crimped as shown in Fig. 4, over the mounting ring 44 to insure a fixed mounting position of the component 46 within the bottom of the spark plug 10.
  • the distance 60 between the ground electrode 12 top surface 56 and the bottom surface 58 of centre electrode 18 is .035 to .045 of an inch or 0.89 to 1.22 mm. See Fig. 8. Greater or lesser spacing may be required for combustion chambers of unusual design or fuels substituted for gasoline such as propane, methanol or ethanol.
  • the electrical spark moves from the centre electrode 18 along the top surface 56 of electrode 12.
  • the angle of the spark from electrode 18 to the top surface 56 of electrode 12 is less than thirty degrees and preferably is less than fifteen degrees from the longitudinal axis of the spark plug, when the ground electrode inner diameter is equal to the exterior diameter of the center electrode, as defined in claim 1.
  • the open-ring shaped ground electrode 12 of the invention will generate six to eight firing patterns so that the flame spread around the periphery of the ground electrode is enhanced.
  • Such an uniform flame spread produces up to twenty percent added horsepower for a given amount of fuel and approximately 1-2 km/liter (three to six miles per gallon) increased fuel economy.
  • the spark plug life is at least doubled over a conventional spark plug since the distribution of the spark along the arms 32 and 34 prevent the single type burn which occurs on a conventional ground electrode. Combustion chamber smoulder time is reduced more than 50 %.
  • the electrode 12 can be stamped out or ground out from a piece of metal.
  • FIGs 6 and 7 An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs 6 and 7 wherein the mounting ring 44 is not used and the ground electrode 12a is merely mounted at a right angle 48a to a mounting post 38a which is spot welded to the edge 52a of a spark plug skirt 26a at the second end 42a.
  • the first end 40a of post 38a is attached to the back end of ground electrode 12a.
  • the spark plug of Figs 9 and 10 comprises a ground electrode component 46 consisting of the open-ring shaped ground electrode 12 and three mounting posts 70 which are welded on the end surface of the shank skirt 26.
  • the number of mounting posts 70 is three but this number may be decreased or increased.
  • the component 46 is stamped out from a metal plate and the free end portions 71 of the mounting posts are slightly curved to be located in a plane parallel to the plan of the open-ring shaped ground electrode.
  • the improved spark plug of this invention can be used in conventional internal combustion engines for automobiles, boats, airplanes, lawn-mowers and like articles of manufacture. It also improves horsepower in dual plug cylinders and in combustion chambers with enhanced turbulences.

Landscapes

  • Spark Plugs (AREA)
EP91900245A 1989-10-13 1990-10-13 Spark plug with a open-ring shaped ground electrode Expired - Lifetime EP0451264B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US421172 1982-09-22
US42117289A 1989-10-13 1989-10-13
PCT/EP1990/001738 WO1991006142A1 (en) 1989-10-13 1990-10-13 Spark plug with a ring/open-ring shaped ground electrode

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0451264A1 EP0451264A1 (en) 1991-10-16
EP0451264B1 true EP0451264B1 (en) 1995-12-27

Family

ID=23669464

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP91900245A Expired - Lifetime EP0451264B1 (en) 1989-10-13 1990-10-13 Spark plug with a open-ring shaped ground electrode

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0451264B1 (ja)
JP (1) JPH04503731A (ja)
AT (1) ATE132304T1 (ja)
CA (1) CA2044622C (ja)
DE (1) DE69024480T2 (ja)
WO (1) WO1991006142A1 (ja)

Families Citing this family (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19705372C2 (de) * 1997-02-12 2002-06-27 Beru Werk Ruprecht Gmbh Co A Zündkerze für eine Brennkraftmaschine
DE102004011588A1 (de) * 2004-03-10 2005-09-29 Robert Bosch Gmbh Zündkerze
TW201001854A (en) * 2008-06-26 2010-01-01 chen-jun Liao Spark plug
US8584648B2 (en) 2010-11-23 2013-11-19 Woodward, Inc. Controlled spark ignited flame kernel flow
US9476347B2 (en) 2010-11-23 2016-10-25 Woodward, Inc. Controlled spark ignited flame kernel flow in fuel-fed prechambers
US9172217B2 (en) 2010-11-23 2015-10-27 Woodward, Inc. Pre-chamber spark plug with tubular electrode and method of manufacturing same
KR101227903B1 (ko) 2011-08-29 2013-02-06 우진공업주식회사 내연기관용 스파크 플러그
US9856848B2 (en) 2013-01-08 2018-01-02 Woodward, Inc. Quiescent chamber hot gas igniter
US9765682B2 (en) 2013-06-10 2017-09-19 Woodward, Inc. Multi-chamber igniter
US8839762B1 (en) 2013-06-10 2014-09-23 Woodward, Inc. Multi-chamber igniter
JP6580701B2 (ja) 2015-03-20 2019-09-25 ウッドワード, インコーポレーテッドWoodward, Inc. 並行予燃焼チャンバ点火システム
US9653886B2 (en) 2015-03-20 2017-05-16 Woodward, Inc. Cap shielded ignition system
US9890689B2 (en) 2015-10-29 2018-02-13 Woodward, Inc. Gaseous fuel combustion

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2298504A (en) * 1940-06-10 1942-10-13 Frederick A Ost Spark plug
FR945476A (fr) * 1941-10-11 1949-05-05 Bendix Aviat Corp Bougie d'allumage et son procédé de fabrication
FR1134688A (fr) * 1955-11-07 1957-04-16 Floquet Bougie d'allumage
EP0167687A1 (en) * 1984-07-10 1986-01-15 Wen-Tu Wang A spark plug with a ring-shaped ground electrode
FR2612346A1 (fr) * 1987-03-13 1988-09-16 Bernies Francis Transformation d'une bougie d'allumage classique en bougie d'allumage semi-annulaire 7/8 fermee, reglable

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPH04503731A (ja) 1992-07-02
WO1991006142A1 (en) 1991-05-02
CA2044622C (en) 2000-12-26
DE69024480D1 (de) 1996-02-08
EP0451264A1 (en) 1991-10-16
CA2044622A1 (en) 1991-04-14
DE69024480T2 (de) 1996-05-15
ATE132304T1 (de) 1996-01-15

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