Abstract: A spark plug includes a center electrode, an insulator provided outside the center electrode, a metallic shell provided outside the insulator, a ground electrode disposed to oppose the center electrode, and a spark discharge portion fixed on at least one of the center electrode and the ground electrode for defining a spark discharge gap. The spark discharge portion of the spark plug is formed of a metallic material containing Ir as a main component, and a region where the Vickers hardness is not greater than Hv 400 extends from the surface of the spark discharge portion to a depth of 0.05 mm or more. The average value of d.sub.min /d.sub.max ratios of grains on an arbitrary cross-section is preferably equal to or greater than 0.7 where d.sub.min represents the minimum diameter of each grain on the cross-section and d.sub.max represents the maximum diameter of the grain. The ratio of hS/hB is preferably not greater than 0.

Abstract: A spark plug includes a center electrode, an insulator provided outside the center electrode, a metallic shell provided outside the insulator, a ground electrode disposed opposingly to the center electrode, and a spark discharge portion fixed on at least one of the center electrode and the ground electrode for defining a spark discharge gap. The spark discharge portion is formed from an alloy containing Ir as a main component, Rh in an amount of 0.1 wt. % to 35 wt. %, and at least one of Ru and Re in an amount of 0.1 wt. % to 17 wt. %.

Abstract: A spark plug includes a central electrode, an insulator exterior to the central electrode, a metallic shell exterior to the insulator and having the central electrode protrude from one end of the metallic shell, a ground electrode having one end coupled to the metallic shell and having another end facing the central electrode, and an igniting portion secured to either the central electrode or to the ground electrode or to both for forming a spark discharge gap, wherein the igniting portion comprises a chip including a metal-oxide composite material including at least 10 wt % of Ir, an alloy having at least one element selected from a group consisting of Rh, Mo, Nb and Pt in a total amount in a range of 0.5 to 88.4 wt %, and a rare earth oxide in an amount ranging from 1.6 to 15 wt %.

Abstract: In a spark plug for an internal combustion engine, a spark gap is defined between an insulated sparking portion and a grounded sparking portion. At least one of the insulated sparking portion and the grounded sparking portion is made of a molten alloy composed of (a) 99 to 80 wt. % of Ir and (b) 1 to 20 wt. % of Pt. The insulated sparking portion can be a center electrode or a discharge chip attached to a free end of the center electrode, while the grounded sparking portion can be a ground electrode or a discharge chip attached to a free end of the ground electrode.

Abstract: A spark plug is provided having a center electrode disposed in a metallic shell through an insulator so that the front end of the center electrode forms a spark gap with an outer electrode. A platinum tip is secured to the outer electrode positioned to oppose the front end of the center electrode. The outer electrode is provided with a heat-conductive core metal cladded with a matrix metal which is made of a nickel-based alloy containing 10-20 wt. % chromium. The platinum tip is welded to the outer electrode to form a welded portion between the platinum tip and the outer electrode and the platinum tip is positioned to terminate slightly short of the core metal so that the distance between a circumferential edge of the welded portion and a front end of the core metal is in the range 0.0 mm-2.0 mm measured lengthwise along direction the outer electrode.

Abstract: In a spark plug including a cylindrical metal shell whose inner wall has a ledge portion, an insulator having a seat portion which engages with a rear slope surface of the ledge portion to be supported within the metal shell, a center electrode supported with an axial bore of the insulator, and a ground electrode extended from the metal shell to form a spark gap with the center electrode. A dimensional relationship among (A), (B) and (g) is defined as follows: {(B-A)/2}.gtoreq.0.8.times.(g) or {(B-A)/2}.gtoreq.0.9.times.(g). Where B (mm) is an inner diameter of a metal shell portion which surrounds an insulator nose, A (mm) is a base diameter of the insulator nose, and g (mm) is a width dimension of the spark gap.

Abstract: Spark plug has a central electrode, an insulator provided exterior to the central electrode, main metallic shell provided exterior to the insulator in such a way that the central electrode protrudes from one end, and a ground electrode coupled at one end to the main metallic shell and which has the other end disposed to face the central electrode 3, with a chip being secured to either the central electrode or the ground electrode or both to form spark discharge gap g. The chip is made of a metal based on Ir which contains Rh in an amount ranging from 3 to 50 wt % (50 wt % being not inclusive).

Abstract: In a spark plug having a noble metal layer disposed on a firing end of an electrode, the noble metal layer being laser welded to the firing end of the electrode, and subsequently heat treated to increase a crystallized granulation particle size of the noble metal layer.

Abstract: In a laser welding member, a photographing device is provided to photograph plasma caused by exposing laser beams to an object. An image processing member is provided to measure at least one of an area and height of a plasma image photographed by the photographing member. A distinction member is provided to compare a value measured by the image processing member with an allowable value so as to asses the laser welding condition.

Abstract: In a spark plug, a cylindrical metallic shell has a tubular insulator in which a columnar center electrode is place, a front end of the center electrode extending beyond the insulator. A nobel metal portion is thermally bonded to an outer wall of the front end of the center electrode by means of laser beams so as to form a spark gap between the noble metal portion and a ground electrode which is extended from the metallic shell. The noble metal portion has a molten alloy layer in which the center electrode is melted into the noble metal portion, and a diffused alloy layer in which the noble metal portion is diffused into the center electrode, so that the molten alloy layer forms a spark discharge surface against a front end of the ground electrode.

Abstract: In a spark plug including a cylindrical metallic shell having an insulator in which a center electrode is placed, a front end of which somewhat extends beyond the insulator, a noble metal portion is bonded to an outer side wall of the front end of the center electrode by means of laser beams so as to form a spark gap between the noble metal portion and a ground electrode which is depended from the metallic shell. The noble metal portion has a molten alloy layer in which the center electrode is melted into the noble metal portion, and a diffused alloy layer in which the noble metal portion is diffused into the center electrode.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a spark plug electrode, wherein a composite column is provided to have a heat-conductor core embedded in a metallic clad by means of extrusion. A firing tip is provided from a slug which is made of a noble metal. The slug is concentrically placed on an end surface of the metallic clad, and a laser beam welding is applied on the slug to thermally melt the entire the slug so that the end surface of the metallic clad is partly fused into the slug in the range of 0.5 wt % to 80.0 wt %.

Abstract: In an electrode for a spark plug, an elongated blank metal is made of a nickel-based alloy and including a front surface. A firing tip is provided from a slug made of a noble metal, the slug being concentrically placed on the front surface of the elongated blank metal and laser beam welded to thermally melt the entire slug and thereby produce a thermal weld, so that the front surface of the elongated blank metal is partly fused together with the slug to form a melted portion with the front surface and the slug so as to contain the front surface within the melted portion in the range of 0.5 wt % to 80.0 wt %.

Abstract: In a spark plug electrode in which an alloyed tip is secured to a firing end of one of opposed electrodes forming a spark gap therebetween, the tip has a spark-erosion resistant noble metal component, and the noble metal component varies as a weight percentage of the alloyed tip in an axial direction of the electrode depending on a magnitude of spark discharges to which a specified portion of the tip is subjected between the opposed electrodes, wherein a largest weight percentage of the noble metal component is provided at areas on the electrode subjected to relatively high magnitude spark discharges, and wherein a smallest weight percentage of the noble metal component is provided at areas on the electrode subjected to relatively low magnitude spark discharges.

Abstract: In a method of making a spark plug electrode, an electrode blank is prepared to have a firing portion at one end of the electrode blank. A recess is provided at the firing portion of the electrode blank. A noble metal material is placed in the recess. Laser beams are applied on the noble metal material in the recess to melt 70%.about.100% by weight of the noble metal material to form a noble metal tip. A component of the electrode blank is formed from a clad metal wherein the clad metal is thermally fused to the noble metal tip to form a fused portion, such that the clad metal comprises 0.5%.about.80% of the total weight of the fused portion.

Abstract: In a spark plug having a cylindrical metallic shell a front end of which is extended into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, an insulator is provided within the metallic shell so as to provide an annular clearance between a front end of the metallic shell and that of the insulator, a width of the annular clearance being within a range of 0.65 mm .+-.0.25 mm. An extension skirt which the metallic shell is extended into the combustion chamber has a length within a range from 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm. A tapered surface is provided by planing off an inner edge of a front end of the metallic shell, and the surface angularly falls within angles from 20 to 40 degrees. One end of an outer electrode is welded to the tapered surface while other end of the outer electrode is bent to oppose a front end of a center electrode.

Abstract: The outer or side electrode of a spark plug is configured as a flat plate confronting the center electrode to define a gap, and fixed to the threaded shell or body of the plug by a plurality of spider legs. A plurality of holes are formed in the plate to improve the plug durability and retard any discharge voltage increases.