Claims
- 1. A spark ignition system of an internal combustion engine having a cylinder head, cylinder sidewalls, and a piston defining a combustion zone, said cylinder head having a threaded opening and a spark plug positioned in the opening and in communication with the combustion zone, comprising:
- a controllable spark initiation system;
- said spark plug having first and second ends and first and second end portions, said spark plug first end portion having a connecting element formed of electrically conductive material having a threaded outer surface mateable with the opening of the cylinder head, a cavity of ring configuration, a first electrode axially positioned within the cavity, the electrode having a cavity containing a vaporizable medium to form a heat pipe to dissipate heat from the first end of the spark plug and insulation extending about the first electrode and a second electrode of ring configuration positioned between the insulation and the connecting element and in electrical contact with the connecting element;
- said spark plug second end portion having a chamber defined by a second end portion of the first electrode, and an electrical terminal connectable to the spark initiation system, and
- a plurality of serially connected high voltage rectifiers connected on one end to a first end portion of the first electrode and connected on the other end to the spark initiation system and being positioned within the chamber, a second end portion of the second electrode extending about the second end portion of the first electrode and insulation positioned between the second end portions of the first and second electrodes and covering the second end portion of the second electrode, said first and second electrodes second end portions being of a construction sufficient to generate a capacitance greater than about 1000 pF.
- 2. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said insulation outer surface of said first end portion cavity is substantially completely of serrated cross-sectional configuration.
- 3. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ends of the first and second electrodes at the first end portion of the spark plug are spaced one from the other a distance greater than about 3 mm as measured radially from and about the outer surface of the first electrode.
- 4. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the end of the first electrode at the first end portion of the spark plug is of domed configuration and the end of the second electrode at the first end portion of the spark plug is of ring configuration.
- 5. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the chamber containing the rectifier is filled with one of oil or high voltage insulating epoxy.
- 6. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the chamber containing the rectifiers is filled with HV epoxy.
- 7. A system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second end portion of the first electrode has at least one concentric tube extending about the chamber, spaced therefrom, and being connected thereto and including insulation covering the concentric tube.
- 8. A system, as set forth in claim 7, wherein there are a plurality of concentric tubes each extending about the chamber, spaced therefrom and having insulation covering the concentric tubes and wherein the second end portion of the second electrode includes a concentric tube extending about the chamber and being positioned between adjacent first electrode tubes and being covered by insulation.
- 9. A spark plug of an internal combustion engine utilizing ultra lean fuel mixtures and generating high combustion pressures, comprising;
- a body having first and second ends and first and second end portions, said first end portion having centrally positioned first electrode having a cavity containing a vaporizable medium forming a heat pipe to dissipate heat from the first end of the spark plug and a second electrode of tubular configuration extending about said first electrode and spaced at least about 3 mm therefrom, and thread formed on said first end portion and being mateable with threads of an engine spark plug opening, said second end portion of the spark plug having a plurality of rectifiers serially connected to the first electrode and being encased within the second end portion of the first electrode and said first electrode second end portion being surrounded by the second end portion of the second electrode, said adjacently positioned first and second electrode second end portions are of a construction sufficient for generating a capacitance greater than about 1000 pF.
- 10. A spark plug, as set forth in claim 9, including insulation covering the first end portion of the first electrode and covering the second end portions of the first and second electrodes.
- 11. A spark plug, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the insulation between the electrodes' first end portions and the insulation on the outer surface of the second end portion of the spark plug is non linear and defined by a multiplicity of peaks and valleys.
- 12. A spark plug, as set forth in claim 11, wherein the surface area of the insulation between the electrodes' first end portions and the insulation on the outer surface of the second end portion of the spark plug is greater than about two times the surface area of insulation of cylindrical configuration as measured at the diameters of the insulation valleys.
Parent Case Info
This is a file wrapper continuation of application Ser. No. 08/570,073, filed Dec. 11, 1995, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5371436 |
Griswold et al. |
Dec 1994 |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
570073 |
Dec 1995 |
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