A spark plug for an internal combustion engine and a method of making the same

Abstract: A spark plug for an internal combustion engine, wherein a cylindrical metal shell has first and second open ends, an annular ground electrode integral with the metal shell is provided on the first open end of the metal shell, an insulator has an axial bore in which a center electrode is coaxially placed whose front end slightly extended beyond the insulator, and intermediary electrode strips are arranged circumferentially around a front portion of the insulator so as to circumferentially form a series of spark discharge gaps between the ground electrode and the center electrode. The spark plugs can ignite an air-fuel gas mixture omnidirectionally since it does not need a L-shaped ground electrode which hinders ignition of the gas mixture.

Description: This invention relates to a spark plug which is mounted on a cylinder head of an automotive internal combustion engine to ignite an air-fuel mixture. A spark plug for use in an internal combustion engine is generally shown in figure 9 of the accompanying drawings, wherein a centre electrode 30 is provided through a bore of an insulator 20 mounted in a passage of a metal shell 60. The metal shell 60 of the spark plug 1 is to be secured to a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine (not shown) by way of a male thread 90 provided with an outer surface of the metal shell 60. The center electrode 30 has one end connected to a terminal 50 for electrical input, and having the other end extended beyond the front end of the insulator 20 to form a spark gap 130 with a L-shaped ground electrode 70 extended from the threaded end portion 90. When a high voltage is supplied to the terminal 50 a spark discharge occurs along the spark gap 130 across the center electrode 30 and the ground electrode 70 so as to ignite an air-fuel mixture injected into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. However, in this spark plug 1, an orientation of the ground electrode 70 placed in the combustion chamber changes owing to the variance of an initial tap of the male thread 90 even in the same type of the spark plug when the metal shell 60 is screwed into the cylinder head. On the other hand, the injected air-fuel mixture swirls in the combustion chamber during a stroke of compression before the ignition. Depending on the orientation, the ground electrode 70 occasionally happens to block or to prevent the swirls of the air-fuel mixture from being ignited. This leads to a bad ignitability resulting in an unstable combustion and an insufficient power-output of the engine. Particularly in the cold season, the nascent flames are prevented from fully growing in the combustion chamber. This is because the flames are quickly cooled in running, further by the end portion of the insulator 20, the firing ends of the center electrode 30 and the ground electrode 70 which are not sufficiently heated yet during a start-up or idle operation of the engine. With the single spark gap provided in the spark plug explained above, the ignition often causes a misfire in which the spark discharge fails to fire the air-fuel mixture or the nascent flames disappears without sufficiently spreading even if the spark discharge have made the air-fuel mixture ignited under unfavorable conditions as using an air-rich fuel or intaking a back flow of the exhaust gas. US patent 2 129 576 which is considered to represent the closest prior art, discloses a spark plug in which electrodes are arranged so that a series of sparks occur between the electrode "islands" upon ignition. However, the spark is likely to travel substantially radially and longitudinally and so the problem remains of misfire when the swirls do not directly approach the spark. In order to lessen these inconveniences, some instructive suggestions or teachings are disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 61-296675 and Japanese Utility Model Resistration No. 59-3507. The former publication No. 61-296675 discloses a multi-spark system in which a ceramic material is used for an inner wall of the combustion chamber near an upper end of a cylinder block or a lower end of a cylinder head. To the inner wall made of the ceramic material, a plurality of Ni-based electrodes are soldered to provide multi-spark gaps along the inner wall of the combustion chamber. With the use of the multi-spark system, it is possible for the spark discharges to smoothly ignite the air-fuel mixture because all the ground electrodes do not hide the swirls at once. However, it is difficult to install or replace the spark plugs without manufacturing a new engine and, the ground electrodes tend to unacceptably erode with an extended use of the spark plug. This makes it unrealistic to put into a practical use in the industrial circle. The latter publication of No. 59-3507 discloses a spark plug in which a center electrode extends beyond a front end of a metal shell to provide an insulator coated around an elevational surface of an extended leg of the center electrode. Between a front distal end of the center electrode and a ground electrode depending from the metal shell, some intermediary annular electrodes are provided and from which a plurality of projections are extended in a longitudinal direction. In this spark plug, spark discharges occur between the center electrode and the ground electrode via the projections to smoothly ignite the air-fuel mixture because it does not have a L-shaped ground electrode which hinders the swirls of air-fuel mixture in the internal combustion engine. However, the intermediary annular electrodes are accumulated in a longitudinal direction, each spaced on the insulator for spark discharge in the longitudinal direction so as to exceedingly lengthen the extended end of the insulator, thus exposing its extended end to a high heat environment in the combustion chamber. The heated end of the insulator sets the air-fuel mixture on fire spontaneously to render it unable to precisely control an ignition timing particularly when running the engine at higher speed of revolution. This may cause to further heat the extended end of the insulator to prematurely fire the air-fuel mixture so as to thermally melt the insulator and the center electrode. In order to shorten the extended length of the insulator, so as to avoid a heavy exposure to the extreme heat, there is hardly any choice but to reduce a width of the intermediary annular electrode, thus posing a problem on considering a spark erosion resistant property thereof. Therefore, it is one of the objects of the invention to provide a multi-gap type spark plug for an internal combustion engine, which is spark-erosion resistant and capable of uniformly igniting an air-fuel mixture irrespective of which direction the spark plug is oriented. This invention is achieved by that a row of intermediary electrode strips are arranged intermittently and circumferentially around the insulator to form a plurality of spark gaps circumferentially around the insulator. According to the present invention there is provided a spark plug comprising: a shell carrying a ground electrode; an insulator having an axial bore, held in the shell; a centre electrode placed in the bore of the insulator; at least one row of intermediary electrode strips arranged intermittently in a circumferential direction around a portion of the insulator so as to form a series of spark discharge gaps; characterised in that said intermediary strip portions are spaced around the insulator between the ground electrode and the centre electrode with the length of the spark discharge path between the centre electrode and a first intermediary strip portion smaller than the length of the spark discharge path between the centre electrode and any one of the remaining strip portions of said row, whereby upon ignition, serial sparks occur in a substantially circumferential sequence starting with the first intermediary electrode strip. According further to the present invention, the row of intermediary electrode strips may be arranged staggered in a row around the insulator and may be made of platinum or tungsten. According to another aspect of the present invention, a first auxiliary electrode strip may be provided on the insulator between the center electrode and the intermediary electrode strips. According to other aspect of the present invention, a second auxiliary electrode strip may be provided on the insulator between the ground electrode and the intermediary electrode strips. According to other aspect of the present invention, the intermediary electrode strip may be made of alumina-based ceramic material with an addition of platinum or tungsten. According to other aspect of the present invention, each end of the intermediary electrode strips may have width-increased ends facing each other. According to other aspect of the present invention, the front end portion of the insulator may have a stepped portion to which the intermediary electrode strips, are adhered. According stillmore to the present invention, there is provided a method of making a spark plug according to claim 1 comprising the steps of: placing an insulator in a cylindrical shell so that an end portion of the insulator having a bore extends beyond a ground electrode carried by the shell, placing the centre electrode in the bore of the insulator; characterised by: arranging a row of intermediary electrode strips intermittently on an adhesive sheet; providing an alumina based top coat on the intermediary electrode strips; separating the intermediary electrode strips from the adhesive sheet, while at the same time, sticking the intermediary electrode strips circumferentially to said end portion of the insulator; the length of the spark discharge path between the centre electrode and a first intermediary strip portion is smaller than the length of the spark discharge path between the centre electrode and any one of the remaining strip portions of said row; and sintering the intermediary electrode strips at approximately 1600°C concurrently with the insulator so as to integrate the intermediary electrode strips with the insulator. According to an optional aspect of the present invention, there is provided the method including a step of providing an auxiliary electrode strip in a ring shape around the end portion of the insulator between the center electrode and the intermediary electrode strip. According to an optional aspect of the present invention, there is provided the method further including a step providing a second auxiliary electrode strip in a ring shape around the end portion of the insulator between the last intermediary electrode strip and the ground electrode. According to the invention with the spark discharge gaps provided serially between the center electrode, and the ground electrode, by intermittently and circumferentially placing the intermediary electrode strips around the leg portion of the insulator, it is possible to positively ignite the swirls of the air-fuel mixture regardless of which direction the spark plug is oriented in the combustion chamber. With the spark discharge occurred omnidirectionally, it is further possible to fully burn out the carbon deposit to be piled on an outer surface of the leg portion of the insulator when the leg portion is smoldered due to repeated times of ignitions, according to the invention. The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : - Fig. 1 is a plan view of a spark plug according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is enlarged cross sectional view of intermediary electrode strips and auxiliary electrode strips; Fig. 3 is a development view of a leg portion of an insulator; Fig. 4 is an enlarged development view of a firing end of the spark plug viewed from an arrow Z of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of a front portion of the insulator according to another embodiment of the invention; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 according to still another embodiment of the invention; Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 according to other embodiment of the invention; Fig. 8a is a graphical representation showing a comparison of an ignitability between the invented spark plug and the one having with a L-shaped ground electrode in the prior art; Fig. 8b is a schematic view showing a direction in which an air-fuel mixture swirls against the wall of the insulator in a conventional spark plug; and Fig. 9 is a plan view of a prior art spark plug. Figure 1 shows a spark plug 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The spark plug 1 has a row of intermediary electrode strips 8, provided serially and circumferentially on the leg portion of the insulator 2, and a center electrode 3 provided in the bore of the insulator 2 extended forward. At a rear end of the spark plug 1, a terminal electrode 5 is secured to the other end of the center electrode 3 which is placed in an axial bore 4 of a tubular insulator 2 which is located in a metal shell 6. An outer surface of the metal shell 6 has a male thread 9 with which the spark plug is screwed into a plug hole provided with a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. As shown in Fig. 1, a leg portion 10 of the insulator 2 extends beyond a front end of the metal shell 6 with a front of the center electrode 3 somewhat extended beyond the leg portion 10 so as to expose a row of intermediary electrode strips 8 and an auxiliary annular electrode strip 14. These electrode strips are made for instance of a paste metal prepared by baking a mixture of platinum, tungsten and alumina powders with an addition of acrylic or cellulose based binder. When the tungsten is used as a powder metal, the mixture is treated in a deoxidization atmosphere. Upon baking these electrode strips of the paste metal, the row of the intermediary electrode strips 8 and the auxiliary electrode strip 14 are printed on a sheet of paper 16 to which a water-soluble adhesive is applied as shown in Fig. 2. Then a layer of top coat 17 is applied to an outer surface of the intermediary electrode strips 8 and the auxiliary electrode strip 14. The intermediary electrode strips 8 and the auxiliary electrode strip 14 shown in Fig. 2, are adhered around an elevational surface of the leg portion 10 of the insulator 2 of Fig. 1, while separating these electrode strips from the sheet of paper 16. The intermediary electrode strips 8 and the auxiliary electrode strip 14 are integrally sintered concurrently with the leg portion 10 of the insulator 2 at the temperature approximately 1600 °C. In this instance, it is to be observed that the alumina-based top coat 17 has substantially no affect on a spark discharge action across the electrodes as long as sufficiently thinning the top coat layer since the top coat 17 is integrally metallized with strips 8 after concurrently sintering the insulator 2 with the top coat 17. As shown in Fig. 3 which is a development view of the leg portion 10, the auxiliary electrode strip 14 encircles around a front distal end of the leg portion 10. The row of the intermediary electrode strips 8 is formed into a sigmoidal section discontinuously arranged in a staggered manner in a circumferential direction of the leg portion 10. Between the front end of the center electrode 3 and the auxiliary electrode strip 14, a spark gap 13a is provided. A spark gap 13b is defined between the auxiliary electrode strip 14 and a first intermediary electrode strip 8a. Spark gaps are provided respectively between the neighboring ends of the first - sixth intermediary electrode strips 8a - 8f, as designated by numerals 13c - 13g. Between the auxiliary electrode strip 14 and the second - sixth intermediary electrode strips 8b - 8f, spark gaps are defined respectively as designated by numerals 13i - 13m. The spark gaps 13b - 13g generally have the same width, and the spark gaps 13i - 13m generally have the same width. The spark gap 13b is smaller than the spark gap 13i. Numeral 13n designates a nearest distance of the first intermediary electrode strip 8a from the second intermediary electrode 8b except the spark gap 13c. Numeral 13o designates an effective distance of the second intermediary electrode strip 8b from the third one 8c except the spark gap 13d. Numeral 13p designates a minimum distance of the third intermediary electrode strip 8c from the fourth one 8d except the spark gap 13e. Numeral 13q designates a nearest distance of the fourth intermediary electrode strip 8d from the fifth one 8e except the spark gap 13f. Numeral 13r designates a minimum distance of the fifth intermediary electrode strip 8e from the sixth one 8f except the spark gap 13g. The spark gap 13b is smaller than each of the gaps 13n - 13r. The neighboring ends of the first - sixth intermediary electrode strips 8a - 8f, have such width-increased distals as designated by denotation Wi, as enough to resist the spark erosion. When the high voltage is supplied to the center electrode 3 from an ignition coil, a spark discharge occurs along the spark gap 13a between the center electrode 3 and the auxiliary electrode strip 14. Then, the electrified electrode strip 14 causes a spark discharge toward the first intermediary 8a, and thereby in sequence causing a spark discharge along the spark gaps 13c - 13g made by the first - sixth intermediary 8a - 8f, and to a ground electrode 7 integral with the metal shell 6 along the spark gap 13h in rapid succession. The dimensional arrangement is that the spark gap 13b is smaller than the spark gap 13i, and the spark gap 13b is smaller than any of the spark gap 13n - 13r in order to initiate the spark discharge along the spark gap 13b made between the auxiliary electrode strip 14 and the first intermediary electrode strip 8a, followed by a circumferential sequence of spark discharge via the rest of spark gaps 13c - 13h. The auxiliary electrode strip 14 effectively works particularly when the center electrode 3 is in an eccentric relation with the axial bore 4. With the accumulated dimensional variance of the insulator 2, the axial bore 4, the center electrode 3 or the like, it may be unavoidable to have the eccentricity of the center electrode 3 after assembling the spark plug 1. The eccentricity of the center electrode 3 changes the distance of the first intermediary electrode strip nearest to the center electrode 3 due to the products having variance. An absence of the eccentricity of the center electrode 3 positions the first intermediary electrode strip 8a nearest to the center electrode 3 as shown by the solid line in Fig. 4. The center electrode 3 comes near the intermediary electrode strip in its accentric direction. When the center electrode 3 displaces as shown by the broken lines in Fig. 4, the center electrode 3 comes nearer to the fourth intermediary electrode strip 8d. In this instance, this displacement of the center electrode 3 allows the spark discharge to occur along the spark gaps 13f, 13g, 13h with no spark discharge running along the spark gaps 13c - 13e. This means a failure of equally growing the spark discharge in the circumferential direction around the leg portion 10 of the insulator 2. With the presence of the annular electrode strip 14, it is possible to firstly grow the spark discharge inevitably between the center electrode 3 and the auxiliary electrode strip 14 regardless of which direction the center electrode 3 is eccentrically displaced away from the center of the axial bore 4. This annular electrode strip makes the spark discharges grow along the spark gaps 13a - 13h equally in succession in the circumferential direction of the leg portion 10 of the insulator 2. In a preferable embodiment of the method of the invention, with the intermediary electrode strip 8 and the auxiliary electrode strip 14 pre-printed on the sheet of paper 16 integrally with the alumina-based top coat 17 by means of the metal paste, refering back to Fig. 2, it is suggested to adhere the electrode strips 8, 14 tightly to the elevational surface of the leg portion 10 while separating the electrode strips 8, 14 from the sheet of paper 16. Since these electrode strips 8, 14 of the metal paste can be concurrently sintered in integral with the insulator 2, it is possible to facilitate the mass production of the spark plug 1. Fig. 5 shows a second embodiment of the invention in which a step portion 11 is provided on the surface of the leg or rather nose portion 10. On the surface of the step portion 11 of the leg portion 10, the electrode strips 8, 14 are placed. This makes it possible to exactly position the electrode strips 8, 14 when they are placed in such a method as explained with reference to Fig. 2. The auxiliary electrode strips 14 may be placed between the intermediary electrode strip 8 and the ground electrode 7 as shown in Fig. 6, and/or between the intermediary electrode strip 8 and the center electrode 3. When the insulator 2 is eccentrically displaced away from the center axis of the metal shell 6, this arrangement is effective because when the auxiliary electrode strip 14 is provided between the center electrode 3 and the intermediary electrode strip 8. Fig. 6 also shows a third embodiment of the invention in which the intermediary electrode strips 8a - 8g are formed into a bar-shaped configuration instead of the sigmoidal configuration. The row of the intermediary electrode strips may be staggered to form a zig zag path as denoted by 8a - 8e as shown in a fourth embodiment of the invention in Fig. 7, wherein the spark gaps 13a - 13j are formed respectively between the center electrode 3 and the auxiliary electrode strip 14, between the intermediary electrode strip 8 and the auxiliary electrode strip 14, between the first - seventh intermediary electrode strips 8a - 8g, between the intermediary electrode strip 8 and a second auxiliary electrode strip 15, and between the second auxiliary electrode strip 15 and the ground electrode 7. The second auxiliary electrode strip 15 is provided between the intermediary electrode strip 8 and the ground electrode 7 on the surface of the insulator. With a circumferential arrangement of the intermediary electrode strips 8a - 8g and the auxiliary electrode strips 14, 15 baked on the leg portion 10 of the insulator 2, it is possible to grow the spark discharge circumferentially or omnidirectionally and to ignite the swirls coming from any direction, while insuring a withstand voltage of the insulator and protecting the insulator 2 from cracks due to thermal shock. This arrangement makes it possible to fully burn out the carbon deposit piled on the leg portion 10 and to ignite the air-fuel mixture injected into the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, without failure. Figs. 8a shows a comparison of an ignitability of spark plugs between the present invention and the prior art (spark plug with a L-shaped ground electrode). In the prior art, the ignitability lowers in the direction of arrow A in which swirls come behind the ground electrode. The ignitability also goes down in the direction of arrow B in which the ignited flares encounter the ground electrode. On the contrary, it is possible to equally insure a good ignitability omnidirectionally in the case of the spark plugs of the invention. As understood from the foregoing description, it is possible to omnidirectionally or circumferentially grow the spark discharges along the spark gaps between the center electrode and the annular ground electrode integral with the metal shell via the intermediary electrode strip and the auxiliary electrode strip arranged in a limited space by providing the intermediary electrode strip and the auxiliary electrode strip circumferentially around the leg portion of the insulator. With the spark discharges omnidirectionally grown, it is possible to satisfactorily burn out the carbon deposit piled on the leg portion of the insulator. By adhering the intermediary electrode strip and the auxiliary electrode strip directly to the leg portion or the step portion of the insulator, and simultaneously sintering the intermediary electrode strip and the auxiliary electrode strip integrally with the insulator, it is possible to facilitate the mass production. It is noted that the number of the intermediary electrode strips is not limited to five to seven but can be altered as needed. While the invention has been described with reference to the specific embodiments, it is understood that this description is not to be construed in a limiting sense in as much as various modifications and additions to the specific embodiments may be made by skilled artisans without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims: A spark plug comprising: a shell (6) carrying a ground electrode(7); an insulator (2) having an axial bore (4), held in the shell (6); a centre electrode (3) placed in the bore of the insulator (2); at least one row of intermediary electrode strips (8a-8g) arranged intermittently in a circumferential direction around a portion of the insulator (2) so as to form a series of spark discharge gaps (13b-m) ; characterised in that said intermediary strip portions (8a-8g) are spaced around the insulator (2) between the ground electrode (7) and the centre electrode (3) with the length of the spark discharge path between the centre electrode (3) and a first intermediary strip portion (8a) smaller than the length of the spark discharge path between the centre electrode (3) and any one of the remaining strip portions of said row, whereby upon ignition, serial sparks occur in a substantially circumferential sequence starting with the first intermediary electrode strip. A spark plug according to claim 1, wherein the intermediary electrode strips (8a-8g) are staggered in a row around the insulator. A spark plug according to claim 2, wherein the intermediary electrode strips (8a-8g) have width-increased ends (WE) facing each other. A spark plug according to any one of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the portion of the insulator (2) has a stepped portion (11) to which the intermediary electrode strips (14,15) are adhered. A spark plug according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein an auxiliary electrode strip (14) is provided on the insulator (2) between the centre electrode (3) and the intermediary electrode strip (8). A spark plug according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein an auxiliary electrode strip (15) is provided on the insulator (2), between the ground electrode (7) and the intermediary electrode strips (8a-8g). A method of making a spark plug according to claim 1 comprising the steps of: placing an insulator (2) in a cylindrical shell (6) so that an end portion of the insulator (2) having a bore (4) extends beyond a ground electrode (7) carried by the shell (6), placing the centre electrode (3) in the bore of the insulator (2); characterised by ; arranging a row of intermediary electrode strips (8a-8g) intermittently on an adhesive sheet (16); providing an alumina based top coat (17) on the intermediary electrode strips (8a-8g), separating the intermediary electrode strips (8a-8g) from the adhesive sheet (16), while at the same time, sticking the intermediary electrode strips (8a-8g) circumferentially to said end portion of the insulator (2); the length of the spark discharge path between the centre electrode (3) and a first intermediary strip portion (8a) is smaller than the length of the spark discharge path between the centre electrode (3) and any one of the remaining strip portions of said row; and sintering the intermediary electrode strips (8a-8g) at approximately 1600°C concurrently with the insulator (2) so as to integrate the intermediary electrode strips with the insulator (2). A method of making a spark plug according claim 7, wherein the intermediary electrode strips (8a-8g) have width-increased ends facing each other to form respective spark discharge gaps therebetween. A method of making a spark plug according to claim 7 or 8, further including a step providing an auxiliary electrode strip (14) in a ring shape around the end portion of the insulator (2) between the centre electrode (3) and the intermediary electrode strips (8a-8g). A method of making a spark plug as recited in claims 7, 8 or 9, further including a step providing an auxiliary electrode strip (15) in a ring shape around the portion of the insulator (2) between the intermediary electrode strips (8a-8g) and the ground electrode (7). A method of making a spark plug according to any one of claims 7 to 10, or a spark plug according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the intermediary electrode strips (8a-8g) are made of platinum or tungsten or platinum-based or tungsten-based alloy. A method of making a spark plug according to any one of claims 7 to 10, or a spark plug according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the intermediary electrode strips (8a - 8g) are made of alumina-based ceramic material with platinum or tungsten. A method of making a spark plug according to any one of claims 7 to 12, or a spark plug according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the auxiliary electrode strip (14,15) or at least one of the auxiliary electrode strips (14,15) is made of platinum-based and/or tungsten-based alloy. A method of making a spark plug according to any one of claims 7 to 12, or a spark plug according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the auxiliary electrode strip (14,15) or at least one of the auxiliary electrode strips (14,15) is made of alumina-based ceramic material with platinum or tungsten.

Inventors: SUZUKI TAKAHIRO, SUZUKI, TAKAHIRO, SUZUKI, TAKAHIRO, C/O NGK SPARK PLUG CO. LTD.
Applicants: NGK SPARK PLUG CO, NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD
Application year: 1996
Main classification: H01T13
IPC codes: H01T13