Abstract: A spark plug capable of preventing a separation of a noble metal tip and capable of extending a service-life of the spark plug.

Abstract: There is provided a spark section (80) of needle-like shape protruding from an inner surface (33) of a ground electrode (30) to define a spark gap between the spark section and an electrode tip on a center electrode. The spark section (80) has a noble metal member (81) and an intermediate member (86) joined to each other. The materials of the noble metal member (81) and the intermediate member (86) are selected in such a manner that the thermal conductivity of the intermediate member (86) is lower than that of the noble metal member (81). This limits heat radiation through the heat radiation passage from the noble metal member (81) through the intermediate member (86) to the ground electrode (30) so as to maintain the noble metal member (81) at a higher temperature than conventional types and reduce a quenching effect of the noble metal member (81) on a flame core generated in the spark gap for improvement in ignition performance.

Abstract: A spark plug with excellent vibration resistance performance and resistor load life-span characteristics, and a reduced diameter which is achieved by strengthening adhesion between a resistor and a conductive glass sealing layer.

Abstract: In a spark plug having a precious metal tip joined to the front end portion of a ground electrode, the stable junction state of the precious metal tip is guaranteed for a long time. A precious metal tip 32 on the side of a ground electrode 27 is not directly joined to the front end portion of the ground electrode 27 but indirectly joined with a mounting part 51 interposed therebetween. The mounting part 51 includes a base part 53 which has a disc shape and is provided with a flange part 52 on its outer periphery and a protruding part 54 which protrudes from the base part 53 and has a columnar shape. First, in the state where the precious metal tip 32 is in contact with the protruding part 54 of the mounting part 51, laser welding or the like is performed thereon to form a fused part 42 and obtain a complex, and the base part 53 of the mounting part 51 is joined to a flat surface of the ground electrode 27 by resistance welding.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a spark plug which includes: (a) preparing a metal shell; (b) preparing an insulator; (c) inserting the insulator in an insertion hole of the metal shell; (d) forming an intended crimping portion of the metal shell into a crimping portion; and (e) pressing a lower side portion of the metal shell closer to a position lower than the intended compressive deformation portion, and pressing the crimping portion of the metal shell in an axial direction to compressively deform the intended compressive deformation portion of the metal shell and thus seal a space between a stepped portion of the metal shell and a stepped portion of the insulator, wherein step (e) controls a pressing amount of a press in a constant value from the start of compressive deformation to the end thereof.

Abstract: A spark plug comprised of a spark plug main body and a cylindrical pressing member used for mounting the spark plug main body on an internal-combustion engine. The spark plug main body includes a cylindrical metal shell. A removing-tool engagement portion is formed on an outer circumferential face of the metal shell at a front end side of a caulking portion. The removing-tool engagement portion is used for engaging with a tool, when removing the spark plug main body from a plug hole of an internal-combustion engine.

Abstract: The present invention provides a spark plug that includes a center electrode extending in an axial direction, a ceramic insulator having an axial hole formed in the axial direction to retain the center electrode in a front side of the axial hole and thereby form an assembly unit of the center electrode and the ceramic insulator, a metal shell surrounding an outer circumference of the ceramic insulator to retain therein the assembly unit, and a ground electrode having one end portion joined to a front end face of the metal shell and the other end portion facing the center electrode to define a spark gap therebetween, wherein the spark plug satisfies the following conditions: H?1 mm, Vc?17 mm3 and Ra?1.

Abstract: A spark plug including: a center electrode including an electrode base member and a core member; an electrode tip joined to the center electrode via a molten bond; an insulator holding the center electrode; a metal shell holding the insulator; and a ground electrode joined to the metal shell. Relationships d?2.1 [mm] and ?0.09×d+0.33<Vb/(Va+Vb)<?0.2×d+0.75 are satisfied, where d is an outer diameter of the center electrode at a position 4 mm closer to the base end of the center electrode from the base end of the molten bond in the axial direction, and Va and Vb are volumes of the electrode base member and the core member, respectively, at a region between the base end of the molten bond and the position in the axial direction.

Abstract: A spark plug including: a rod-shaped center electrode; an insulator; a metal shell; a ground electrode joined to the metal shell and bent toward the center electrode; a noble metal tip joined to an end portion of the ground electrode and opposing a leading end portion of the center electrode via a gap; and a bulge portion. A part of the noble metal tip is embedded in the ground electrode, and another part of the noble metal tip protrudes from a distal end surface of the ground electrode. A relationship A?0.25 mm is satisfied where A (mm) is a protruding length of the noble metal tip from the distal end surface. The bulge portion covers a center part of a boundary between the noble metal tip and the end surface in a width direction.

Abstract: A gasket for use around a thread neck of an automotive component, the gasket dimensioned to prevent the gasket from falling off of the thread neck and to prevent a male screw portion from biting into the gasket.

Abstract: A spark plug (100) including a center electrode (130) and a ground electrode (140), which is formed by joining a ground electrode chip (143) to a ground electrode base material (141) via an intermediate member (142). A method for producing the spark plug (100) includes providing a projecting portion (142p) on the intermediate member (142), and projection-welding the intermediate member (142) to the ground electrode base material (141) by means of the projecting portion (142p), to thereby join the intermediate member 142 to the ground electrode base material (141). Further, the intermediate member (142) of the spark plug (100) includes a cylindrical columnar portion (142e) which is joined to the ground electrode chip (143), and a flange portion (142d) which is joined to the ground electrode base material (141) and which flange portion (142d) has a diameter greater than that of the cylindrical columnar portion (142e).

Abstract: A spark plug includes a center electrode, a ground electrode opposing the center electrode in such a manner as to define a spark discharge gap between the center electrode and the ground electrode, and an igniter fixed to at least one of the center electrode and the ground electrode in such a manner as to face the spark discharge gap. The igniter is composed of a metallic material whose principal component is one of a platinum and an iridium. One type of the metallic material of the igniter contains an oxygen content of not more than 120 ppm. Another type of the metallic material of the igniter has a crystal grain of not less than 50 ?m in mean diameter, and contains the oxygen content of not more than 300 ppm.

Abstract: A spark plug used in an automotive internal combustion engine. The spark plug includes a center electrode. An insulator is disposed around the center electrode. A metal main body is disposed around the insulator. A ground electrode has a first end section connected to the metal main body, and a second end section located opposite to the center electrode. Additionally, a tip is formed of an alloy whose main component is Ir. The tip is secured to the ground electrode and serving as a spark consumption-resistant electrode material. The tip has an axis directed to the center electrode. In the spark plug, a molten and solidified section formed of alloy is disposed to fix the tip to the ground electrode. The molten and solidified section includes a surrounding molten and solidified section located surrounding a peripheral surface of a major part of the tip embedded in the ground electrode.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a spark plug is disclosed. In first step S10, a chip 1 including a flange portion 1b and a protrusion 1a protruding from a first face 1c of the flange portion 1b is manufactured. In second step S20, a second face 1d of the flange portion 1b is tentatively joined, through resistance welding, to a joint face 32 (42) of the electrode base metal of at least either one of a center electrode 30 and a ground electrode 40, the joint face 32 (42) being located on the side toward a discharge gap. In third step S30, the flange portion 1b is laser-welded to the joint face 32 (42) such that a weld portion 3 extends to points on the second face 1d of the flange portion 1b, the points being located inward of corresponding intersections of the second face 1d of the flange portion 1b and imaginary extension lines of the side surface of the protrusion 1a.

Abstract: A linear noble-metal member 32′, which is formed of a noble metal or noble metal alloy and will become a spark portion 32, is positioned on a distal end portion 4a (an attachment portion) of a ground electrode 4 of a spark plug work 100′; the positioned linear noble-metal member 32′ is fixed to the distal end portion 4a by resistance welding or laser welding; and the fixed linear noble-metal member 32′ is cut.

Abstract: A spark plug having a center electrode 2 formed from an electrode base material 2n, which is made of an Ni alloy containing an alloy component (e.g., Cr) capable of forming an oxide semiconductor having a resistivity of negative temperature coefficient. Thus, a corrosion suppression layer originating from the components of the electrode base material is formed on the surface of a tip end portion of the insulator 3, so that corrosion (channeling) of the surface of the tip end portion of the insulator 3 due to creeping spark discharge can be effectively suppressed. In addition, when the constituent metal of the electrode base material 2n has a coefficient of thermal conductivity of 17 to 30 W/m·K, the heat transfer performance of the electrode is enhanced, so that durability against electrode consumption can be greatly improved.

Abstract: A spark plug is disclosed, in which a center electrode has, at the end thereof which forms a spark discharge gap, a noble metal chip which has a straight rod portion of 1.0 mm or less in diameter and 0.2 mm or more in length; width of coverage K of a ground electrode on which a rectangular noble metal chip is welded satisfies a relation of −d≦K≦0.5 mm (where, d represents the diameter of the end face of the center electrode); and width w of a portion of the discharge plane 111A which falls within a range corresponded to the axial extension of the end face 22B of the noble metal chip 22 provided on the center electrode 2 satisfies a relation of w<2.1−K (in mm), where K is the foregoing width of coverage.

Abstract: A spark plug in which the diameter of a front end portion 2i of an insulator 2 is reduced due to a circumferentially extending stepped portion thereof to form the stepped portion into an insulator-side locking portion 2h, and the insulator is inserted into a main metal member 1 from a rear opened portion thereof. The insulator-side locking portion 2h engages a metal member-side locking portion 1c projecting from an inner circumferential surface of the main metal member 1, and an outer circumferential surface (clearance-forming outer circumferential surface) 2k of the portion 2i positioned ahead of the locking portion 2h of the insulator 2 is opposed to an inner circumferential surface (clearance-forming inner circumferential surface) 52 of the metal member-side locking portion 1c so as to form a predetermined clearance Q in a locking position.

Abstract: A tip portion of a center electrode 2 of a spark plug includes a tapered portion which is tapered such that the diameter reduces axially frontward. A convex portion 2k is formed at an axially intermediate position of the tapered portion so as to project radially outward with respect to an axis 30. The axially measured distance L2 between the vertex of the convex portion 2k (the convex vertex P) and the tip face 1D of an insulator is set to less than 0.5 mm. A heat release acceleration metal portion 2m, which is made of Cu or an alloy that contains a predominant amount of Cu, is present at a position located a distance L3 of 1.5 mm as measured axially rearward from the convex vertex P in order to suppress spark erosion by lowering the temperature of the center electrode 2. The heat release acceleration metal portion 2m is formed such that an electrode base material 2n, which encloses the heat release acceleration metal portion 2m, has a wall thickness W of not less than 0.

Abstract: A spark plug is disclosed, in which a center electrode has, at the end thereof which forms a spark discharge gap, a noble metal chip which has a straight rod portion of 1.0 mm or less in diameter and 0.2 mm or more in length; width of coverage K of a ground electrode on which a rectangular noble metal chip is welded satisfies a relation of −d≦K≦0.5 mm (where, d represents the diameter of the end face of the center electrode); and width w of a portion of the discharge plane 111A which falls within a range corresponded to the axial extension of the end face 22B of the noble metal chip 22 provided on the center electrode 2 satisfies a relation of w<2.1−K (in mm), where K is the foregoing width of coverage.