Spark ignition device with bridging ground electrode and method of construction thereof

1. A spark ignition device, comprising:

a ceramic insulator;

a metal shell surrounding at least a portion of said ceramic insulator and extending along a central axis between an upper terminal end and a lower fastening end, said fastening end having a substantially planar surface extending transversely to said central axis and having a pair of projections diametrically opposite one another extending axially from said substantially planar surface away from said terminal end to free ends;

a center electrode assembly received at least in part in said ceramic insulator; and

an elongate ground electrode having opposite sides extending along a length of said ground electrode between opposite ends and having opposite faces with a sparking surface attached to one of said faces, said one face being sunk axially into said free ends of said projections with at least a portion of said opposite sides being surrounded by said projections.

2. The spark ignition device of claim 1 wherein said projections adjoin an outer perimeter of said ground electrode, said outer perimeter being demarcated by a portion of said opposite sides and a portion of said opposite ends of said ground electrode.

3. The spark ignition device of claim 1 wherein a weld joint extends about said outer perimeter.

4. The spark ignition device of claim 3 wherein said weld joint is a resistance weld joint.

5. A method of constructing a spark ignition device, comprising:

providing a ceramic insulator;

disposing a center electrode assembly having a sparking surface at least in part in the ceramic insulator;

providing an annular metal shell having a central axis extending between an upper terminal end and a lower fastening end and forming a pair of projections extending axially from a substantially planar surface adjacent the fastening end to free ends;

providing an elongate ground electrode having opposite sides extending along a length between opposite ends and having opposite faces with a sparking surface attached to one of the faces; and

sinking the ground electrode into the free ends of the projections in a welding process and bringing the sparking surface of the ground electrode into a predetermined spaced relation with the sparking surface of the center electrode to form a spark gap therebetween.

6. The method of claim 5 further including performing the welding process in a resistance welding process.

7. The method of claim 5 further including forming generally U-shaped pockets extending axially into the projections with the ground electrode during the welding process.

8. The method of claim 5 further including forming generally U-shaped pockets extending axially into the projections prior to the welding process.

9. The method of claim 5 further including sinking at least a portion of the opposite sides of the ground electrode into the projections.

10. The method of claim 5 further including sinking at least a portion of the opposite ends of the ground electrode into the projections.

11. A method of constructing a spark ignition device, comprising:

providing a ceramic insulator;

disposing a center electrode assembly having a sparking surface at least in part in the ceramic insulator;

providing an annular metal shell having a central axis extending between an upper terminal end and a lower fastening end and forming a pair of projections extending axially from a substantially planar surface adjacent the fastening end to free ends;

providing an elongate ground electrode having opposite sides extending along a length between opposite ends and having opposite faces with a sparking surface attached to one of the faces; and

attaching the ground electrode to the projections by sinking the ground electrode into generally U-shaped pockets in the free ends of the projections and bringing the sparking surface of the ground electrode into a predetermined spaced relation with the sparking surface of the center electrode to form a spark gap therebetween.

12. The method of claim 11 further including forming the generally U-shaped pockets by resistance welding the ground electrode to the projections.

13. The method of claim 11 further including preforming the generally U-shaped pockets in the projections prior to attaching the ground electrode to the projections.

14. The method of claim 13 further including welding the ground electrode to the projections after sinking the ground electrode into generally U-shaped pockets.

15. The spark ignition device of claim 1 wherein said ground electrode includes a generally U-shaped pocket extending axially into each of said free ends of said projections.

16. A spark ignition device, comprising:

an insulator having a lower end;

a center electrode disposed in said insulator and having a lower end portion projecting from said lower end of said insulator;

a metal shell supporting said insulator and including a pair of ground electrode support legs that are circumferentially and radially spaced from one another and which extend alongside said lower end portion of said center electrode to free mounting ends thereof;

a ground electrode formed separately from said support legs; said ground electrode extending between and having opposite end portions supported by said support legs; said end portions of said ground electrode having axially opposite end surfaces and laterally opposite side surfaces; and

wherein said support legs each have a pocket having at least one side wall portion projecting inwardly toward said center electrode, said end portions of said center electrode being received in said pockets with said at least one side wall portion of each pocket confronting an associated side surface of said ground electrode to locate said ground electrode laterally relative to said center electrode.