Corona ignition device and method for producing an ignition head for a corona ignition device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9593662-B2
Application number	US-201314055496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2013
Priority date	Oct 29, 2012
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a corona ignition device for igniting fuel in a combustion chamber of an engine by means of a corona discharge, comprising an insulator, a center electrode, which plugs into the insulator and carries an ignition head having a plurality of ignition tips, a coil, which is connected to the center electrode, and a housing, which surrounds the coil and into which the insulator plugs, wherein the ignition head has main body formed from sheet metal. In accordance with the invention, the ignition tips consist of a different material compared to the main body and are fastened to a side face of the main body. The invention also relates to an ignition head for such a corona ignition device and to a method for production thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A corona ignition device for igniting fuel in a combustion chamber of an engine by means of a corona discharge, comprising:
an insulator;
a center electrode surrounded by the insulator and carrying an ignition head having a plurality of ignition tips;
a coil connected to the center electrode;
a housing surrounding the coil and holding the insulator;
wherein the ignition head has a main body formed from sheet metal, the main body having a narrow side at an edge region, and wherein the ignition tips are formed of a different material than the main body and are fastened to the narrow side of the main body, wherein the ignition tips each have cut edges running continuously along the tip and an adjacent section of the main body, and whereby the ignition head is cut from a semifinished product assembled from two different materials.

2. The corona ignition device according to claim 1 , wherein each ignition tip has two converging cut edges.

3. The corona ignition device according to claim 1 , wherein the ignition tips are formed of a platinum metal or an alloy based on platinum metal.

4. The corona ignition device according to claim 1 , further comprising an intermediate layer arranged between the ignition tips and the main body to improve the adhesion of the ignition tips to the main body.

5. The corona ignition device according to claim 1 , wherein the ignition tips are formed of the different material continuously from their upper side to their lower side.

6. The corona ignition device according to claim 1 , wherein the ignition tips are wedge shaped and have at least two converging cut edges on an upper side of the ignition head and at least two converging cut edges on a lower side of the ignition head.

7. An ignition head for a corona ignition device, comprising:
a main body formed from sheet metal formed of a first material; and
a plurality of ignition tips formed of a second material and arranged on a narrow side of the main body, wherein each ignition tip together with an adjacent section of the main body forms a wedge delimited by two cut edges that each extend continuously along the entire length of the tip and along an adjacent section of the main body, and whereby the ignition head is cut from a semifinished product assembled from two different materials.

8. A method for producing an ignition head for a corona ignition device, comprising:
providing a sheet metal formed from a first material, the sheet metal having a narrow side at an edge region;
producing a semifinished product by applying a second material to the narrow side of the sheet metal;
then cutting from the semifinished product an ignition head having a main body formed of the first material and ignition tips comprising the narrow side coated with the second material.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the narrow side is a side face of the sheet metal.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the second material is fastened in the form of a strip to the side face of the sheet metal.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the thickness of the semifinished product is reduced before the ignition head is cut.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the second material is fastened to the sheet metal by welding.

13. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising applying a layer formed from a third material before the application of the second material to the narrow side of the sheet metal.

14. The corona ignition device of claim 2 , wherein the two converging cut edges form the apex of the ignition tip.

15. The corona ignition device of claim 2 , wherein the two converging cut edges define a wedge.

16. The corona ignition device of claim 1 , wherein the cut edges are substantially straight.

17. The corona ignition device of claim 7 , wherein the two cut edges converge near the apex of the ignition tips.

18. The corona ignition device of claim 7 , wherein the two cut edges are substantially straight.

Assignees

• Borgwarner Beru Systems Gmbh
• Borgwarner Ludwigsburg Gmbh

Inventors

• Stifel Timo
• Niessner Werner
• MüLLER HELMUT

Classifications

• H01T13/50

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

• F02P23/04 Primary

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

• H01T13/20

  characterised by features of the electrodes or insulation · CPC title

• Y10T29/49231

  I.C. [internal combustion] engine making · CPC title