Spark plug, spark plug electrode, and method of manufacturing the same
AssigneeFederal-Mogul Ignition Company
InventorDaniel Koenig
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A spark plug electrode with one or more electrode tip(s) formed on one or more electrode base(s) using an additive manufacturing process, such as a powder bed fusion technique, such that each electrode tip overhangs an edge of a corresponding electrode base. The spark plug electrode may be a center electrode, a ground electrode, or an annular ground electrode and can be provided according to a number of different configurations. Each electrode tip includes a precious metal-based material, such as an iridium- or platinum-based alloy, and a plurality of laser deposition layers, and each electrode tip can be secured to an electrode base with a weldless joint. An additive manufacturing process is also provided.
Claims21
A spark plug, comprising:
- a shell;
- an insulator that is at least partially disposed within the shell;
- a center electrode that is at least partially disposed within the insulator and includes a center electrode base;
- one or more center electrode tip(s) that are formed on the center electrode base;
- one or more ground electrode(s) that include one or more ground electrode base(s);
- and
- one or more ground electrode tip(s) that are formed on the ground electrode base(s), each center electrode tip opposes one or more ground electrode tip(s) across one or more radial spark gap(s), wherein each of the center electrode tip(s) and each of the ground electrode tip(s) is formed by an additive manufacturing process.
An additive manufacturing process for manufacturing a spark plug, comprising the steps of:
- securing the spark plug in an additive manufacturing tool so that a firing end that has a center electrode base and a ground electrode base is exposed;
- filling an empty cavity within the interior of the spark plug with a filler material, the filler material provides a temporary floor;
- covering the firing end and the temporary floor with a thin powder layer that includes a precious metal-based material;
- directing a laser or an electron beam towards the firing end such that it melts or sinters at least some of the thin powder layer;
- allowing the melted or sintered thin powder layer to at least partially solidify into a laser deposition layer;
- and
- repeating the covering, directing and allowing steps for a plurality of cycles so that one or more center electrode tip(s) and one or more ground electrode tip(s) are formed, wherein the center electrode tip(s) and the ground electrode tip(s) are formed during the same additive manufacturing process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.