Glow sensor--ceramic flat plate

A glow sensor for use in a combustion chamber of a diesel engine, said glow sensor comprising:

• a tubular metal shell including mounting means for mounting the glow sensor in a chamber defining component of the engine, the shell having a passageway extending axially therethrough;
• a tubular ceramic support sleeve carried in the passageway of the shell;
• a ceramic flat plate glow sensor clement carried by the support sleeve and having an outer end terminating adjacent an outer end of the shell and isolated therefrom by the sleeve, and extending through the passageway to an inner end including a glow tip extending inwardly beyond inner ends of the shell and the sleeve;
• and
• insulating material within the support sleeve and within the metal shell and supporting the glow sensor element in the shell;
• said glow sensor element including:
• a single ceramic flat plate extending between said inner and outer ends of the glow sensor element and having opposite first and second sides and adjacent lateral edges;
• an electric heating element and conductors printed on said first side of the flat plate, said heating element disposed at the location of the glow tip and said conductors extending from the heating element to the outer end of the glow sensor element;
• an ion sensor electrode and a conductor printed on said second side of the of the flat plate, said electrode disposed adjacent an inner end of the flat plate and said conductor extending from the electrode to an outer end of the flat plate;
• and
• an insulating coating on both sides of the flat plate and covering the printed conductors and the heating element for protection from combustion gases.