Federal-mogul Ignition Company

Federal-mogul World Wide, Inc.

Other

Federal-mogul Ignition Gmbh

Federal-mogul Corporation

William John Walker, Jr

James D Lykowski

John William Hoffman

Keith Firstenberg

James L May

Keith Hampton

Shuwei Ma

Patrick Durham

Wayne Douglas Brown

Michael D Norton

Richard D Begley

Lyle H Slack

Michael E Saccoccia

Paul Valentine

Doreen D Edwards

Cathy Osborne

Kevin J Kowalski

Richard L Keller

Mark McMurray

Paul William Phillips

Kevin Miller

Myron Jeffery Schmenk

Jim May

Matthew C Ware

Brian A Bolduc

David Walker

A spark plug and method of manufacturing, where the spark plug meets particular geometric relationships to maintain and potentially improve dielectric performance while downsizing other plug dimensions. The spark plug includes an insulator that can withstand higher voltages while having areas with a reduced cross-sectional thickness. In some embodiments, the insulator has a dielectric strength of 42 kV/mm or more with a radial thickness at the internal seal of 1.5 to 1.6 mm, inclusive, and a radial thickness at a gasket of 0.6 to 0.9 mm, inclusive.

Spark plug and methods of manufacturing same

A spark plug suppressor and a method of producing a spark plug suppressor from a suppressor precursor liquid that may be cured at a temperature below 300&#xb0; C. The spark plug suppressor may include particles or grains dispersed in a matrix of electrically conducting material, electrically semiconducting material, or electrically non-conducting material. The suppressor may include a conductive glass seal component and a resistive suppressor component. The resistive suppressor component may be at least partially embedded in the glass seal component, and the glass seal component may seal a center electrode of the spark plug, a terminal of the spark plug, or both the center electrode and the terminal.

Spark plug with a suppressor that is formed at low temperature

An extruded insulator for a spark plug that is made in a manner that minimizes pores, relics and/or other defects in the insulator microstructure so that the overall dielectric strength or performance of the insulator is improved. The extruded insulator avoids many of the drawbacks associated with such defects, but also has a stepped internal bore for receiving a center electrode. In one embodiment, the extruded insulator is made with a method that uses a multi-phase extrusion process to extrude a ceramic paste around an elongated arbor and form an extruded section, and then removes the arbor from the extruded section to reveal a stepped internal bore.

Extruded insulator for spark plug and method of making the same

Methods of making an insulator for a condition sensing spark plug and tooling that can be used to perform the various methods, the tooling and methods involving machining one or more channels in the insulator body. The machined channels can be used to accommodate one or more wires from a sensing, display, or processing device. In one particular example, the wires are thermocouple wires used to sense temperature in an internal combustion engine while the spark plug is in use. The methods and tooling may result in channels that are formed more precisely, economically, and efficiently.

Method and tooling for making an insulator for a condition sensing spark plug

An electrically conductive glass seal for providing a hermetic bond between an electrically conductive component and an insulator of a spark plug is provided. The glass seal is formed by mixing glass frits, binder, expansion agent, and electrically conductive metal particles. The glass frits can include silica (SiO), boron oxide (BO), aluminum oxide (AlO), bismuth oxide (BiO), and zinc oxide (ZnO); the binder can include sodium bentonite or magnesium aluminum silicate, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and dextrin; the expansion agent can include lithium carbonate; and the electrically conductive particles can include copper. The finished glass seal includes the glass in a total amount of 50.0 to 90.0 weight (wt. %), and electrically conductive metal particles in an amount of 10.0 to 50.0 wt. %, based on the total weight of the glass seal.

Spark plug with improved seal

An electrically conductive glass seal for providing a hermetic bond between an electrically conductive component and an insulator of a corona igniter is provided. The glass seal is formed by mixing glass frits, binder, expansion agent, and electrically conductive metal particles. The glass frits can include silica (SiO), boron oxide (BO), aluminum oxide (AlO), bismuth oxide (BiO), and zinc oxide (ZnO); the binder can include sodium bentonite or magnesium aluminum silicate, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and dextrin; the expansion agent can include lithium carbonate; and the electrically conductive particles can include copper. The finished glass seal includes the glass in a total amount of 50.0 to 85.0 weight (wt. %), and electrically conductive metal particles in an amount of 15.0 to 50.0 wt. %, based on the total weight of the glass seal.

Corona ignition device with improved seal

A method for making an extruded insulator for a spark plug in a manner that minimizes pores, relics and/or other defects in the insulator microstructure so that the overall dielectric strength or performance of the insulator is improved. The method may be used to manufacture an extruded insulator that avoids many of the drawbacks associated with such defects, but also has a stepped internal bore for receiving a center electrode. In one embodiment, the method uses a multi-phase extrusion process to extrude a ceramic paste around an elongated arbor and form an extruded section, and then removes the arbor from the extruded section to reveal a stepped internal bore.

An electrically conductive glass seal for providing a hermetic bond between an electrically conductive component and an insulator of a corona igniter is provided. The glass seal is formed by mixing glass frits, binder, expansion agent, and electrically conductive metal particles. The glass frits can include silica (SiO), boron oxide (BO), aluminum oxide (AlO), bismuth oxide (BiO), and zinc oxide (ZnO); the binder can include sodium bentonite or magnesium aluminum silicate, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and dextrin; the expansion agent can include lithium carbonate; and the electrically conductive particles can include copper. The finished glass seal includes the glass in a total amount of 50.0 to 90.0 weight (wt. %), and electrically conductive metal particles in an amount of 10.0 to 50.0 wt. %, based on the total weight of the glass seal.

An electrically conductive glass seal for providing a hermetic bond between an electrically conductive component and an insulator of a spark plug is provided. The glass seal is formed by mixing glass frits, binder, expansion agent, and electrically conductive metal particles. The glass frits can include silica (SiO), boron oxide (BO), aluminum oxide (AlO), bismuth oxide (BiO), and zinc oxide (ZnO); the binder can include sodium bentonite or magnesium aluminum silicate, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and dextrin; the expansion agent can include lithium carbonate; and the electrically conductive particles can include copper. The finished glass seal includes the glass in a total amount of 50.0 to 85.0 weight (wt. %), and electrically conductive metal particles in an amount of 15.0 to 50.0 wt. %, based on the total weight of the glass seal.

A spark plug and method of construction is provided. The spark plug has a generally annular ceramic insulator extending between a terminal end and a nose end. A conductive shell surrounds at least a portion of the ceramic insulator and a ground electrode having a ground electrode sparking surface is operatively attached to the shell. An elongate center electrode has a body extending between opposite ends. The body of the center electrode is formed of a compacted and sintered conductive or semi-conductive ceramic material. The ceramic material of the body comprises at least one oxide. For example, the body of the center electrode can be formed of a perovskite structure or a spinel structure.

Ceramic electrode including a perovskite or spinel structure for an ignition device and method of manufacturing

A spark plug () for igniting a mixture of fuel and air of an internal combustion engine comprises a center electrode () and a ground electrode (). At least one of the electrodes () includes a body portion () formed of thermally conductive material and a firing tip () disposed on the body portion (). The firing tip () includes a ceramic material, providing an exposed firing surface (). The ceramic material is an electrically conductive, monolithic ceramic material. The ceramic material of the firing tip () includes at least one perovskite structure and/or at least one a spinel structure.

Spark plug with ceramic electrode tip

A ceramic insulator for surrounding an electrode of an ignition device, such as a corona igniter or spark plug, is provided. The insulator is formed of a ceramic material including alumina in an amount of 28 to 38 wt. %, silica in an amount of 57 to 67 wt. %, and calcium oxide in an amount of 3 to 7 wt. %, based on the total weight of the ceramic material. The ceramic insulator is typically formed by firing a mixture of Kaolin, calcium carbonate, and silica, wherein the calcium carbonate acts as a flux during firing. The ceramic material has a relative permittivity of about 5.5 to 6.5 and thus improves the electrical efficiency of the ignition device. The ceramic material is also capable of withstanding temperatures of 900 to 1000&#xb0; C. and has excellent thermal shock resistance, making it suitable for use in internal combustion engines.

Ceramic for ignition device insulator with low relative permittivity

A spark plug () for igniting a mixture of fuel and air of an internal combustion engine comprises a center electrode () and a ground electrode (). At least one of the electrodes () includes a body portion () formed of thermally conductive material and a firing tip () disposed on the body portion (). The firing tip () includes a ceramic material, providing an exposed firing surface (). The ceramic material is an electrically conductive, monolithic ceramic material. Examples of preferred ceramic materials include titanium diboride, silicon carbide, ternary carbide, and ternary nitride. The ceramic material can also include oxides, borides, nitrides, carbides, silicides, or MAX phases.

A spark plug, a center electrode therefore and method of construction is provided. The spark plug has a generally annular ceramic insulator extending between a terminal end and a nose end. A conductive shell surrounds at least a portion of the ceramic insulator and a ground electrode having a ground electrode sparking surface is operatively attached to the shell. An elongate center electrode has a body extending between opposite ends, wherein the body is compacted and sintered of a conductive or semi-conductive ceramic material. One of the electrode ends provides a center electrode sparking surface to provide a spark gap between the center electrode sparking surface and the ground electrode sparking surface.

Ceramic electrode, ignition device therewith and methods of construction thereof

An igniter () emitting an electrical field including a plurality of streamers forming a corona includes a corona enhancing tip () at an electrode firing end (). The corona enhancing tip () includes an emitting member () such as a wire, layer, or sintered mass, formed of a precious metal and disposed on a base member (). The base member () is formed of a nickel alloy. The emitting member () has a lower electrical erosion rate and chemical corrosion rate than the base member (). The emitting member () presents the smallest spherical radius of the corona enhancing tip () at the outermost radial point () to concentrate the electrical field emissions and provide a consistently strong electrical field strength over time.

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Toledo, OH, United States of America

William John Walker, Jr