Corona ignition device with improved electrical performance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11075504-B2
Application number	US-201916661275-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2019
Priority date	Mar 23, 2012
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A corona comprises a central electrode surrounded by an insulator, which is surrounded by a conductive component. The conductive component includes a shell and an intermediate part both formed of an electrically conductive material. The intermediate part is a layer of metal which brazes the insulator to the shell. An outer surface of the insulator presents a lower ledge, and the layer of metal can be applied to the insulator above the lower ledge prior to or after inserting the insulator into the shell. The conductive inner diameter is less than an insulator outer diameter directly below the lower ledge such the insulator thickness increases toward the electrode firing end. The insulator outer diameter is also typically less than the shell inner diameter so that the corona igniter can be forward-assembled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A corona igniter, comprising:
a central electrode;
an insulator surrounding said central electrode and including an insulator nose end;
said insulator including an insulator outer surface;
presenting an insulator outer diameter width;
said insulator outer surface including a lower ledge;
a conductive component surrounding at least a portion of said insulator, said insulator nose end disposed outwardly of said conductive component;
said conductive component including a shell surrounding at least a portion of said insulator;
said conductive component including an intermediate part separate from said shell and located above said lower ledge and between said shell and said insulator, said intermediate part formed of an electrically conductive material;
said intermediate part including an intermediate inner surface;
presenting a conductive inner width; and
said conductive inner width being less than said insulator outer width along a portion of said insulator located between said lower ledge and said insulator nose end.

2. A method of forming a corona igniter, comprising the steps of:
providing an insulator having an insulator nose end, the insulator including an insulator outer surface presenting an insulator outer width, the insulator outer surface presenting a lower ledge;
disposing an intermediate part formed of an electrically conductive material around the insulator and above the lower ledge, the intermediate part having a conductive inner width, the conductive inner width being less than the insulator outer width along a portion of the insulator located between the lower ledge and the insulator nose end;
and
disposing a shell around the insulator and the intermediate part.

3. The corona igniter according to claim 1 , wherein said intermediate part is a layer of metal.

4. The corona igniter according to claim 1 , wherein said intermediate part includes at least one of nickel, cobalt, iron, copper, tin, zinc, silver, and gold.

5. The corona igniter according to claim 1 , wherein said intermediate part includes is glass or ceramic based.

6. The corona igniter according to claim 1 , wherein said intermediate part is a metal ring.

7. The corona igniter according to claim 1 , wherein said intermediate part is soldered, brazed, bonded, or welded to said insulator.

8. The corona igniter according to claim 1 , wherein said central electrode is formed of an electrically conductive material, and said insulator is formed of an electrically insulating material.

9. The corona igniter of claim 1 , wherein said insulator outer width is a diameter of said insulator outer surface.

10. The corona igniter of claim 1 , wherein said conductive inner width is a diameter of a bore of said insulator.

11. The corona igniter of claim 1 , wherein said insulator outer surface presents an upper ledge, said upper ledge and said lower ledge present a recess therebetween, and said intermediate part is disposed in said recess.

12. The corona igniter of claim 1 , wherein said central electrode includes a plurality of prongs at an electrode firing end.

13. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the intermediate part is a layer of metal.

14. The method according to claim 13 including brazing the insulator to the shell with the layer of metal.

15. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the intermediate part includes at least one of nickel, cobalt, iron, copper, tin, zinc, silver, and gold.

16. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the intermediate part includes is glass or ceramic based.

17. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the intermediate part is a metal ring.

18. The method according to claim 17 including soldering, brazing, bonding, or welding the metal ring to the insulator.

19. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the insulator outer width is a diameter of the insulator outer surface, and the conductive inner width is a diameter of a bore of the insulator.

20. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the insulator outer surface presents an upper ledge, the upper ledge and the lower ledge present a recess therebetween, and the intermediate part is disposed in the recess.

Assignees

• Tenneco Inc

Inventors

• Burrows John Antony
• Miller John E
• Mixell Kristapher I
• Lykowski James D

Classifications

• H01T13/36

  characterised by the joint between insulation and body, e.g. using cement · CPC title

• H01T13/50 Primary

  having means for ionisation of gap (H01T13/52 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01T19/04

  having pointed electrodes · CPC title

• F02P23/04

  Other physical ignition means, e.g. using laser rays · CPC title

• Y10T29/49227

  Insulator making · CPC title