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US 10,312,668 B2Granted
Spark plug having firing pad
AssigneeFederal-Mogul Ignition Company
InventorsKevin J. Kowalski, Frederick J. Quitmeyer, Nathan A. Thomson, Curtis W. Verhoff, Richard L. Keller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spark plug has a firing pad attached to a center electrode or to a ground electrode. The firing pad is attached via laser welding and has a sparking surface with an overall fused area and an unfused area. In one or more embodiments, the overall fused area is located in part or more inboard of a peripheral edge of the firing pad.
Claims18
A method of attaching a firing pad to an electrode for a spark plug, comprising the steps of:
- initially applying a laser beam at a weld starting point located outboard of a peripheral edge of the firing pad and forming one or more fused portion(s), wherein at least one of the one or more fused portion(s) is formed on the electrode;
- moving the laser beam from the weld starting point so that the laser beam crosses the peripheral edge of the firing pad;
- applying the laser beam to the sparking surface of the firing pad to produce a fused area subject to application of the laser beam and an unfused area not subject to application of the laser beam;
- maintaining the laser beam at the sparking surface of the firing pad so that a weld is formed between the firing pad and the electrode, wherein at least one of the one or more fused portion(s) have an overall fused area that is located largely or entirely inboard of the peripheral edge of the firing pad to form at least one of the one or more fused portion(s) on the sparking surface of the firing pad;
- and
- controlling the laser beam to leave at least one unfused portion at the sparking surface.
3 more elements
A method of attaching a firing pad to an electrode for a spark plug, comprising the steps of:
- initially applying a laser beam at a weld starting point located inboard of a peripheral edge of the firing pad and forming one or more fused portion(s) on a sparking surface, wherein the laser beam is applied to the sparking surface of the firing pad to produce a fused area subject to application of the laser beam and an unfused area not subject to application of the laser beam;
- maintaining the laser beam at the sparking surface of the firing pad so that a weld is formed between the firing pad and the electrode, wherein the laser beam creates one or more fused portion(s) that have an overall fused area that is located largely or entirely inboard of a peripheral edge of the firing pad;
- controlling the laser beam to leave at least one unfused portion at the sparking surface;
- moving the laser beam from the weld starting point so that the laser beam crosses the peripheral edge of the firing pad;
- and
- forming at least one of the one or more fused portion(s) on the electrode.
3 more elements
A method of attaching a firing pad to an electrode for a spark plug, comprising the steps of:
- initially applying a laser beam to a sparking surface of the firing pad or the electrode outboard of a peripheral edge of the firing pad;
- moving the laser beam from the sparking surface of the firing pad to the electrode outboard of the peripheral edge of the firing pad or causing the laser beam to move from the electrode outboard of the peripheral edge of the firing pad to the sparking surface of the firing pad, wherein the laser beam crosses the peripheral edge of the firing pad as the laser beam moves;
- forming one or more fused portion(s) on the electrode while the laser beam moves;
- and
- forming one or more fused portion(s) on the sparking surface of the firing pad while the laser beam moves.
2 more elements
A method of attaching a firing pad to an electrode for a spark plug, comprising the steps of:
- striking a sparking surface of the firing pad with a laser beam;
- penetrating entirely through a thickness of the firing pad with the laser beam;
- mixing a material of the firing pad with a material of the electrode to form one or more fused portion(s) as thermal energy from the laser beam increases at a surface-to-surface interface between the firing pad and the electrode, wherein an unfused portion exists between the fused portion and a peripheral edge of the firing pad;
- moving the laser beam from the sparking surface across the peripheral edge of the firing pad;
- forming at least one of the one or more fused portion(s) on the electrode while the laser beam moves;
- and
- forming at least one of the one or more fused portion(s) on the sparking surface of the firing pad while the laser beam moves.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.