The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 24, 2004
Filed:
Jan. 30, 2002
Masato Ito, Aichi, JP;
Shinichiro Mitsumatsu, Aichi, JP;
NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD, Aichi, JP;
Abstract
A method for manufacturing a spark plug, which includes photographing a spark gap as to detect the edges of a center and ground electrode and performing a predetermined treatment on the basis of image information obtained from the photographing step. Also disclosed is an apparatus for carrying out the method. In performing the photographing step, an illumination device is disposed opposite a tip portion of a spark plug, in which a spark gap is to be formed, such that illumination rays pass through the spark gap. A camera , which is disposed opposite the illumination device with respect to the tip portion of the spark plug, photographs the spark gap formed between a center electrode W and a ground electrode W . In relation to the photographing step, light shields are disposed between a light source of the illumination device (illumination means) and the tip portion of the spark plug to block illumination rays directed toward the tip portion of the spark plug from the light source but which diverge from the spark gap.