Patent ID: 8026654

Claim:
An ignition device for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a housing having an opening; an insulator secured within the housing with an end of the insulator exposed through said opening in the housing; a center electrode mounted within the insulator and having an outer surface extending to a free end beyond the insulator with a firing tip extending from said free end; a ground electrode extending from the housing with a portion of the ground electrode being located opposite the firing tip of the center electrode to define a spark gap therebetween; and said center electrode having overlapping first laser weld pools bonding said firing tip to said free end of said center electrode and overlapping second laser weld pools radially outwardly from said first laser weld pools forming an annular exposed outer rounded surface extending from said first laser weld pools to said outer surface of said center electrode, wherein said first laser weld pools are formed substantially from melted material of the firing tip and said second laser weld pools are formed substantially from melted material of said center electrode.