Ignitor for air/fuel mixture and engine therewith and method of assembly thereof into a cylinder head

An internal combustion engine including a cylinder head with an ignitor opening extending from an upper surface to a combustion chamber and having a radially extending upper shoulder between said upper surface and said combustion chamber, and an ignitor, said ignitor comprising:

• an insulator extending between a nose end and a terminal end;
• an electrode received in said insulator and extending outwardly from said nose end;
• a terminal received in said insulator and extending outwardly from said terminal end, said terminal being configured in electrical communication with said electrode;
• a metal shell surrounding at least a portion of said insulator and being free of external threads for attachment in said ignitor opening;
• a tube having a lower end receiving said terminal end of said insulator therein and extending to an upper end opposite said lower end;
• and
• a mount flange attached to said upper surface of the cylinder head and being attached to said upper end of said tube, said mount flange compressing said lower end of said tube into abutment with said shell and fixing said shell and said insulator within said ignitor opening of the cylinder head.

A method of assembling an ignitor within an ignitor opening in a cylinder head, comprising:

• providing the ignitor with an insulator surrounded at least in part by a shell;
• disposing the ignitor in the ignitor opening;
• disposing a tube around a terminal end of the insulator;
• disposing a mount flange on the cylinder head;
• using the mount flange to compress a lower end of the tube into abutment with the shell.

An ignitor, comprising:

• an insulator extending between a nose end and a terminal end;
• an electrode received in said insulator and extending outwardly from said nose end;
• a terminal received in said insulator and extending outwardly from said terminal end, said terminal being configured in electrical communication with said electrode;
• a metal shell surrounding at least a portion of said insulator and being free of external threads;
• a tube having a lower end receiving said terminal end of said insulator therein, said tube extending to an upper end opposite said lower end;
• and
• said tube including a mount flange projecting from said upper end of said tube, said mount flange compressing said lower end of said tube into abutment with said shell.