Patent ID: 7851984
Filing Date: 2010-12-14
Classification: H01T

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacturing an electrode for an ignition device, comprising: providing an electrode body having a firing tip region; providing a continuous wire of selected firing tip material having a free end and an opposite end carried by a feed mechanism configured to advance said wire at a predetermined rate; providing a laser for emitting a high energy laser beam; feeding the free end of said wire via said feed mechanism into said firing tip region and into the laser beam; reflowing said free end during the feeding step in the laser beam and forming a melt pool of the continuous wire material on said firing tip region with a portion of said continuous wire remaining on said feed mechanism for use in the manufacture of a subsequent ignition device; moving said electrode body and said laser vertically away from one another along an axis of said laser beam during the reflowing step; and cooling said melt pool to form a solidified firing tip surface of said selected firing tip material.