Patent · US Expired

Long life spark plug having minimum noble metal amount

US5990602A · kind A · utility

34Cited by
11References
2Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 28, 1993
Grant dateNov 23, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 28, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01T13/39
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An economical spark plug for an internal combustion engine which has a long service life and by which a reduction in the discharge voltage and the use of the minimum amount of a noble metal can be achieved. The spark plug has an insulator, a center electrode supported by the insulator, and an earth electrode facing to the center electrode. A narrowed portion is arranged on a tip of an electrode material of at least one of the center electrode and the earth electrode. The narrowed portion includes a projection formed by extending the electrode material and a noble metal chip firmly connected to a terminal end of the projection. The electrode material is a nickel-base heat-resisting alloy. The noble metal chip is made of a Pt--Ir alloy essentially consisting of 90-100% by weight Pt and 0-10% by weight Ir. A diameter D of the narrowed portion is in a range of 0.6-1.2 mm. A thickness t of the noble metal chip is in a range of 0.16-0.8 mm. A length L of the narrowed portion including the thickness t of the noble metal chip is in a range of 0.8-1.5 mm.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.