Ceramic insulator for spark plug structure

• US 5,204,579 A
• Filed: 08/25/1989
• Issued: 04/20/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NGK Spark PLUG Company Limited
• Original Assignee: NGK Spark PLUG Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamada, Shigeyasu, Kozuka, Kazuhiko, Oshima, Takafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra L.
• Application Number:
  US07/399,704
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 313/137, 313/141, 313/136, 313/144, 313/143
• US Class Current: 313/143
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/111 Fine ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/581 based on aluminium nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/584 based on silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2275/18 DOHC [Double overhead camshaft]
• CPC Class Codes: H01T 13/38 Selection of materials for insulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01T 21/02 of sparking plugs

Abstract

A ceramic insulator structure for use in a spark plug is manufactured by mixing granular or powdery particles of AlN, Si3N₄ or Al₂ O₃ with an organic binder and an auxiliary sintering agent, the average spherical diameter of the particles making up the resulting ceramic mixture being in the range 20-100 microns. The ceramic mixture is then pressed in a mold into a desired shape and sintered at a temperature of 1600°-2000° C.

Claims

1. A spark plug structure comprising a metallic shell, a ceramic insulator positioned within the metallic shell and a center electrode placed within the ceramic insulator, said ceramic insulator comprising a front half piece extending beyond said metallic shell and having an enlarged projection head at one end and a separate rear half piece provided with a recess at one end corresponding to the projection head of said front half piece, said two half pieces being joined and bonded together upon fitting the projection head of said front half piece into the recess of said rear half piece.

2. A spark plug structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said projection head of said front half piece is polygonal in shape and wherein the recess of said rear half piece corresponds to said polygonal shape to prevent rotary movement of said front half piece and said rear half piece when said pieces are fitted and bonded together.

3. A spark plug structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said front half piece is made of aluminum nitride and wherein said rear half piece is made of alumina.

4. A spark plug in accordance with claim 1 wherein said front half piece is made of aluminum nitride AlN and said rear half piece is made of alumina Al₂ O₃ and wherein said front half piece projects by a length of 20 mm from the front of said metallic shell.

5. A spark plug structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein said center electrode is concentrically placed within the ceramic insulator to form a spark plug gap with a ground electrode depended from the metallic shell which is made of low carbide steel.