US4489596A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Spark plug with measuring means
Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
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Filing: 1983-03-24
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Granted: 1984-12-25
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Expires: 2003-03-24
Abstract
Abstract An elongated plate element, for example of aluminum oxide, or a metal plate which is coated with an insulator such as aluminum oxide, is retained within a hollow spark plug insulator (15) by a sealing mass (38), for example a sinter compound, sintering together the plate element (37) and the insulator body (35). The plate element carries a strip or conductive track layer electrode (25) thereon, located, for example, on one major surface of the plate; at the ignition end, the plate may have a through-hole (52), plated through, so that the ignition electrode will have conductive portions at both sides of the plate, faced by ground electrode portions which likewise can be retained on plate-like carrier elements, and connected to the metal housing (11) of the spark plug via conductive tracks (60, 61) and a conductive sealing ring (17"). The plates can carry heaters (32) and operation sensors, such as gas composition sensor, temperature sensor, pressure sensor or the like, which may, for example, have one electrode connected to ground or chassis, and hence to the metal housing, and the other electrode carried along in strip form to the connecting end portion of the spark plug. The plate and layer-like construction of the insulating elements permits modular combination of required components having the desired operating and/or sensing characteristics, and are suitable for mass production assembly.
Inventors
- 👤 Ernst Linder
- 👤 Helmut Maurer
- 👤 Klaus Muller
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 22:03
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01T; H01T13/00; H01T13/20; H01T13/02; H01T13/18; H01T13/40; H01T13/46; H01T13/462; H01T13/465; H01T13/52
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
183 words
Spark plug for an internal combustion engine having a tubular metal housing (11, 11', 11") having a terminal end and an ignition end; a ground or counter electrode (24, 24', 24/1, 24"/1, 24"/2) located adjacent the ignition end; an insulator (15, 15', 15") secured in the housing, said insulator being formed with a central opening (36); and an ignition electrode (25, 25', 25") secured in the insulator and having an ignition end portion spaced from the ground or counter electrode by a spark gap, and a terminal end portion having terminal means for connection to a source of spark energy, comprising, in accordance with the invention, at least one elongated insulated carrier element (37/1, . . . ) having the form of a substantially flat plate or layer and being secured and sealed in the opening (36) of the insulator (15) and extending lengthwise thereof, said ignition electrode being positioned in the opening (36) of the insulator (15) by said elongated insulator carrier element and located in relation to the ground or counter electrode (24, . . . ) by said carrier element.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
183 words
Spark plug for an internal combustion engine having a tubular metal housing (11, 11', 11") having a terminal end and an ignition end; a ground or counter electrode (24, 24', 24/1, 24"/1, 24"/2) located adjacent the ignition end; an insulator (15, 15', 15") secured in the housing, said insulator being formed with a central opening (36); and an ignition electrode (25, 25', 25") secured in the insulator and having an ignition end portion spaced from the ground or counter electrode by a spark gap, and a terminal end portion having terminal means for connection to a source of spark energy, comprising, in accordance with the invention, at least one elongated insulated carrier element (37/1, . . . ) having the form of a substantially flat plate or layer and being secured and sealed in the opening (36) of the insulator (15) and extending lengthwise thereof, said ignition electrode being positioned in the opening (36) of the insulator (15) by said elongated insulator carrier element and located in relation to the ground or counter electrode (24, . . . ) by said carrier element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
Spark plug according to claim 1, wherein said ignition electrode (25, 25', 25") is secured on and carried by said elongated insulator carrier element (37/1, . . . ).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
52 words
Spark plug according to claim 1, wherein the elongated insulated carrier element (37/1, . . . ) is plate or layer-like, and said ignition electrode (25 . . . ) comprises a conductive strip or track applied on a major surface of the plate or layer-like carrier element, and is carried thereby.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
Spark plug according to claim 1, further including an electrical heater element (32, . . . ) applied, in layer-like form, to one of said at least one elongated insulated carrier elements.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
50 words
Spark plug according to claim 1, including an operating parameter sensing element (34, 55, 34"/2, 34"/3) located on at least one of the at least one elongated insulated carrier element; and at least one electrically conductive track or strip forming a connection line carried on the respective insulated carrier element.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
101 words
Spark plug according to claim 5, wherein the elongated insulated carrier element (37/1, . . . ) is plate or layer-like, and said ignition electrode (25, . . . ) comprises a conductive strip or track applied on a major surface of the plate or layer-like carrier element, and is carried thereby; further including an electrical heater element applied, in layer-like form, to one of said at least one elongated insulated carrier elements; and wherein all said heater element, sensor element, and the respective connection lines to the terminal end are in the form of layers, or flat strips or tracks.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
110 words
Spark plug according to claim 6, including at least two elongated carrier elements, one of said carrier elements having said ignition electrode (25) applied thereto in form of a layer or strip-like conductive path; a second carrier element being an elongated plate-like structure similar to said first carrier element and carrying an operating parameter sensor (34, 55, 34"/ 2, 34"/3); and at least one electrical heater element (32, 32"/2, 32"/3) applied to at least one of said carrier elements; and wherein said carrier elements are assembled in a parallel stack, and secured in said central opening (36) of the insulator (15, 15') by a sintered or fused sealing mass (38).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
Spark plug according to claim 5, wherein said sensor element (34"/2, 34"/3) comprises a gas composition sensor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
Spark plug according to claim 5, wherein said sensor element (34"/3) comprises a pressure sensor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
Spark plug according to claim 5, wherein said sensor element includes an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte body (63, 66).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
Spark plug according to claim 5, wherein said sensor element comprises a temperature sensor (34).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
Spark plug according to claim 5, wherein said sensor element comprises an ion current sensor (55).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
Spark plug according to claim 1, including sealing seating and retention means (17, 18, 19, 20, 21) retaining the insulator within the metal housing in sealed manner; and means (38) sealingly retaining the insulated carrier element within the opening (36) of the insulator.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
62 words
Spark plug according to claim 13, wherein the insulated carrier element comprises at least one elongated plate having a ceramic, insulating outer surface; the insulator (15) comprises a ceramic body (35); and the means sealingly retaining the insulating carrier element in the opening comprises a sintered or fused sealing mass, joining the ceramic insulator and the ceramic surface of said carrier element.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
70 words
Spark plug according to claim 1, wherein the metallic housing (11, 11', 11") has an extending portion, and the ground or counter electrode (24, . . . ) is located within said extending portion to place the spark gap (26, 26', 26/1, 26"/4, 26"/5) between the center electrode (25, 25', 25") and the ground or counter electrode (24, . . . ) within said extending portion of the metal housing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
65 words
Spark plug according to claim 1, (FIGS. 10 to 12; 15, 16) further including an electrical heater element applied, in layer-like form, to one of said at least one elongated insulated carrier elements; and wherein the heater element has a return connection line (24"/1L, 24"/2L) and is electrically connected to and forms part of a connection line for the ground or counter electrode (26"/4, 26"/5).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
89 words
Spark plug according to claim 1, wherein the ground or chassis electrode comprises an elongated carrier element (37/2", 37/3"); spacer means (37/4", 37/5") spacing the elongated carrier elements of the ground or chassis electrode from the insulated carrier element (37/1") positioning the ignition electrode (25"); electrode means (25"; 24"/1, 24"/2) on said carrier elements and respectively forming the ignition electrode and the ground or return electrode; and connection means (24"/1L, 24"/2L) on the elongated carrier elements of the ground or counter electrodes, and electrically connected to the metallic housing.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
121 words
Spark plug according to claim 1, wherein (FIGS. 10 to 12; 13, 14) the elongated insulated carrier element (37/1") is formed with a through-opening (52/1) in the region of the end portion of the ignition electrode (25") said ignition electrode being applied to a surface of the insulated carrier element, and the through-hole having an electrically conductive portion; an ignition electrode zone connected to said electrically conductive portion at the side opposite of the ignition electrode, said opening, and the ignition electrode zones surrounding the opening being located in the vicinity of the ground or counter electrode; and wherein said ground or counter electrode has portions facing the zones of the ignition electrode on both sides of the insulated carrier element.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-12-25 | 1988-06-25 | 1988-12-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-12-25 | 1992-06-25 | 1992-12-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-12-25 | 1996-06-25 | 1996-12-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |