Electrode tip assembly for a spark plug and method of manufacturing the same
AssigneeFederal-Mogul Ignition Company
InventorsAndreas Zeh, Rene Trebbels, John Antony Burrows
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrode tip assembly for a spark plug includes an electrode tip that is formed on an electrode base using an additive manufacturing process, such as a powder bed fusion technique, after which the electrode base is welded to an electrode body. The electrode base includes a welding side and an additive manufacturing side, and the electrode tip includes a plurality of laser deposition layers built on the additive manufacturing side of the electrode base.
Claims30
An electrode tip assembly for a spark plug, comprising:
- an electrode base that includes a welding side and an additive manufacturing side;
- and
- an electrode tip that is formed on the electrode base, wherein the electrode tip includes a plurality of laser deposition layers and is built on the additive manufacturing side of the electrode base.
An electrode strip assembly for use in manufacturing a spark plug, comprising:
- an electrode base in the form of an elongated strip that includes a welding side and an additive manufacturing side;
- and
- a plurality of electrode tips that are formed on the elongated strip in a row, wherein each of the electrode tips includes a plurality of laser deposition layers and is built on the additive manufacturing side of the elongated strip.
An electrode sheet assembly for use in manufacturing a spark plug, comprising:
- an electrode base in the form of a sheet that includes a welding side and an additive manufacturing side;
- and
- a plurality of electrode tips that are formed on the sheet in an array of rows and columns, wherein each of the electrode tips includes a plurality of laser deposition layers and is built on the additive manufacturing side of the sheet.
A method for manufacturing a spark plug, comprising the steps of:
- providing an electrode base having a welding side and an additive manufacturing side;
- providing powder that includes a precious metal-based material;
- positioning the electrode base in a tool such that the powder covers the additive manufacturing side;
- building one or more electrode tip(s) on the additive manufacturing side of the electrode base through the use of an additive manufacturing process;
- and
- welding the welding side of the electrode base to an electrode body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.