Electrical connectors – Having spark or glow plug cover
Patent
1998-09-18
2000-05-30
Paumen, Gary F.
Electrical connectors
Having spark or glow plug cover
439271, H01R 1344
Patent
active
06068495&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a spark plug connector for an internal combustion engine, comprising material; and between the connector sleeve and a spark plug well of an engine cylinder, with the spark plug connector being guided in the spark plug well by the elastic means; between the connector sleeve and the ceramic shaft of the spark plug; encloses the plug-in contact and the ignition cable connection, with the plug-in contact and the ignition cable connection being embedded in the ceramic inlet in such a way that the ceramic part in axial direction protrudes beyond the plug-in contact and the connection for the ignition cable.
When many years ago gas was discovered as a fuel for industrial spark ignition engines, various engine manufacturers converted their diesel engines to gas engines, with the diesel injector nozzles being replaced by spark plugs. These spark plugs were located very deep in the so-called spark plug well, i.e. where previously the tip of the injector nozzle was installed in the cylinder head. A connection to the ignition coil was established by insulated or uninsulated metal extensions and an additionally plugged-on ignition cable.
With the usual ignition voltages at this time, up to 15 kV maximum, the existing gap in the spark plug wells provided sufficient insulation.
The emission ordinance TA-Luft ("Technical Instruction for the Prevention of Air Pollution") enacted in the meantime imposes lower NOx and CO levels. These lower levels could only be achieved by an engine operating on a lean mixture. This meant that the engine designers had to create an excess of air in the combustion chamber. To achieve this, carburetion was optimised. This also included the development of four-valve cylinder heads. Increasing the number of valves resulted on the one hand in a reduction in the diameter of the spark plug wells, and on the other hand in an increased voltage requirement at the electrodes because the lean mixture was more difficult to ignite. Ignition voltage was increased to approximately 40 kV.
This leads to extremely unfavourable operating conditions including the requirement to conduct high voltages along extended distances in the narrow spark plug well. Frequent arcing is still the order of the day, in particular if the electrode gap of the spark plug reaches a certain dimension. Most of the time such arcing occurs between the spark plug or spark plug extension and the spark plug well; arcing leads to misfiring.
In order to improve the operational behaviour, the use of silicon-sheathed spark plug connectors was proposed, with the said spark plug connectors requiring insertion into the deep spark plug well by means of special pliers until they engaged the spark plug. Such installation was extremely difficult and resulted in the ignition cables being destroyed during de-installation. In addition, high maintenance costs were incurred.
From DE 29 04 007 C2 the combination of a hollow-cylinder insulating sleeve made of soft material is known, with a cylindrical retainer made of a heat-resistant, hard insulating material such as Bakelite or hard rubber, to avoid radiated interference in the case of a spark plug connector. However, the electric strength of such material combinations is insufficient.
From DE 38 35 984 A1 a spark plug connector is known in which an insulating elastomeric shoe comprises a rigid cover made of a thin, firm insulating material such as plastic. This combination only improves removal of the spark plug connector, without increasing the electric strength.
From DE 33 02 878 A1 a spark plug connector is known which comprises a single-piece, rigid, supporting and elastic insulation sleeve. The insulation sleeve comprises an insulating body made of thermoset material or thermoplastic material, which insulation sleeve by spray-application directly envelopes a constructional unit comprising an interference eliminating resistor, a connection component of the ignition cable, and contact component for the spark plug. The insulation sleeve can be inserted into the spark plug well
REFERENCES:
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patent: 4394598 (1983-07-01), Bergmann
patent: 4824385 (1989-04-01), Sturdevan
patent: 4994259 (1990-07-01), Richardson
patent: 5181856 (1993-01-01), Vente et al.
patent: 5297971 (1994-03-01), Nitta et al.
patent: 5324207 (1994-06-01), Itoh et al.
patent: 5391100 (1995-02-01), Maruyama et al.
patent: 5878706 (1999-03-01), Akamatsu
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