Ngk Spark Plug Company, Limited

Takaaki Kikai

Tsutomu Shibata

Osamu Yoshimoto

Takehito Kuno

Daisuke Sumoyama

Tomoo Tanaka

Kenji Nunome

Tomo-o Tanaka

Takuto Nakada

Masahiro Inoue

Tomonori Kanemaru

Kaori Suzuki

Shinya Mitsuda

Tomo-O Tanaka

A spark plug comprising: a first electrode including a tip containing 1r as a main material, and a base member to which the tip is joined; and a second electrode opposed to the tip with a spark gap therebetween. The number of crystal grains appearing in a range of 0.25 mmon an arbitrary cross-section of the tip in a first direction connecting the tip and the second electrode within the spark gap, is not less than 20. When a length of each of the crystal grains in the first direction is denoted by Y, and a length of each of the crystal grains in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction is denoted by X, 5 &#x3bc;m&#x2264;X&#x2264;100 &#x3bc;m and Y/X&#x2265;1.5 are satisfied.

Spark plug and manufacturing method therefor

At least one of a center electrode and a ground electrode of a spark plug includes an electrode body, an electrode tip, and a welded portion formed between the electrode body and the electrode tip. The electrode tip includes a cover layer that covers at least a side surface of a tip body, and the cover layer is formed of IrAl. On a section formed by cutting the electrode tip near a boundary with the welded portion, an area of the tip body is represented by Sa. An area of a projection on the section of a non-contact portion of an opposite surface of the tip body not in contact with the welded portion is represented by Sb. In this case, Sa&#x2212;Sb corresponds to 35% or more of Sa.

Spark plug

A spark plug includes a ceramic insulator having an axial hole formed in an axis direction of the spark plug, a center electrode inserted in a front side of the axial hole, a metal shell disposed around the ceramic insulator and a ground electrode joined to a front end portion of the metal shell, wherein the ground electrode has a cross-sectional area of 2.0 mmor smaller in any arbitrary cross section thereof taken in a direction perpendicular to a center line of the ground electrode; the ground electrode is made of a metal material containing 93 mass % or more of nickel; and the ground electrode has a Vickers hardness of 130 to 260 Hv.

A spark plug including a center electrode and a ground electrode having a core portion and an outer layer covering the core portion, the core portion being formed from a material having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the outer layer. At least a portion in which thickness of the outer layer is 0.5 mm or less is present at a cross-section perpendicular to a direction in which the ground electrode is extended. Further, the composition of the electrode material forming the outer layer is as follows: Ni is 96 mass % or more, total of at least one kind selected from Y and rare earth elements is 0.05 mass % or more, Al is 0.5 mass % or less, and Si is 0.5 mass % or more and 1.5 mass % or less, where the total of Ni, Y, rare earth elements, Al, Si does not exceed 100 mass %.

A spark plug includes at least one of a center electrode or a ground electrode that is produced by the steps of: mixing a matrix metal with carbon so that the carbon content of the resultant mixture is adjusted to 80 vol. % or less; subjecting the mixture to powder compacting or sintering, to thereby form a core; placing the core in a cup formed of nickel or a metal containing nickel as a main component; and subjecting the cup to cold working. The thus-produced electrode exhibits favorable thermal conductivity and good heat dissipation, by virtue of the small difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the core and an outer shell. The spark plug including the above electrode exhibits excellent durability.

Spark plug electrode, method for producing same, spark plug, and method for producing spark plug

A spark plug is provided having at least one of a center electrode or a ground electrode. The electrode comprises: a core formed of a composite material containing a matrix metal, the matrix metal being copper or a metal containing copper as a main component, and carbon dispersed in the matrix metal in an amount of 10 to 80 vol. %, the carbon having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the matrix metal. The electrode also contains an outer shell which surrounds the core and which is formed of nickel or a metal containing nickel as a main component. The thus-produced electrode exhibits favorable thermal conductivity and good heat dissipation, by virtue of the small difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the core and an outer shell. The spark plug including the above electrode exhibits excellent durability.

A spark plug including a center electrode and a ground electrode having a gap between the center electrode and the ground electrode, the ground electrode has an outer layer which is formed from an Ni-based alloy and a core portion which is covered by the outer layer and formed from a material having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the outer layer. Further, the melting point of the Ni-based alloy forming the outer layer is 1150&#xb0; C. or more and 1350&#xb0; C. or less.

A method of manufacturing a spark plug wherein a tip having a burr-free surface is more reliably welded to a ground electrode, to thereby realize an excellent joint strength. The spark plug includes a center electrode, a ground electrode, and a ground-electrode-side tip joined to the ground electrode through its joining surface. The method of manufacturing includes a tip forming step and a tip joining step of resistance-welding the ground-electrode-side tip to the ground electrode. A wire rod having a reference surface is formed, and the wire rod is cut by moving a cutting blade from one edge of the reference surface with respect to the width direction thereof toward the other edge of the reference surface with respect to the width direction, thereby obtaining the ground-electrode-side tip. At least a portion of the reference surface is joined to the ground electrode, whereby that portion becomes the joining surface.

Method of manufacturing spark plug

A spark plug provides a reduced production cost by forming a tip from a metallic material containing Ni that exhibits excellent erosion resistance. The spark plug comprises an insulator having an axial hole extending in an axial direction; a center electrode inserted into the axial hole at a front end thereof; a metallic shell provided around the insulator; a ground electrode whose proximal end portion is fixed to a front end portion of the metallic shell; and a tip bonded to a distal end portion of the ground electrode such that a spark discharge gap is formed between the tip and a front end portion of the center electrode. The tip is formed of a metallic material containing Ni in an amount of 93 mass % or more, and has a Vickers hardness of 163 Hv or less.

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Takaaki Kikai