The spark plug includes a cylindrical insulator, a center electrode provided in the insulator, and a cylindrical metal shell provided around the insulator. A ledge portion of the metal shell has a frontward facing surface facing a front side, a rearward facing surface facing a rear side, and a connection surface connecting the rearward facing surface and the frontward facing surface. The rearward facing surface engages with a step portion of the insulator. The metal shell includes a front cylindrical portion connected to the front side of the ledge portion. The inner circumferential surface of the front cylindrical portion is connected to the frontward facing surface of the ledge portion via a chamfered surface or a rounded surface. A corner at which the connection surface and the frontward facing surface are connected is located on the front side with respect to a front end of the insulator.

A housing for a spark plug. The housing includes a bore along the longitudinal axis X of the housing, as the result of which the housing has an outer side and an inner side, and an electroplated or chemically applied nickel-containing protective layer situated on at least one portion of the outer side of the housing and a sealing layer situated on the nickel-containing protective layer. The sealing layer contains silicon. A first intermediate layer is applied between the housing and the nickel-containing protective layer and/or a second intermediate layer is applied between the nickel-containing protective layer and the sealing layer and/or a cover layer is applied on the sealing layer. The sealing layer may be free of chromium.

A housing for a spark plug. The housing includes a bore along the longitudinal axis X of the housing, as the result of which the housing has an outer side and an inner side, and an electroplated or chemically applied nickel-containing protective layer situated on at least one portion of the outer side of the housing and a sealing layer situated on the nickel-containing protective layer. The sealing layer contains silicon. A first intermediate layer is applied between the housing and the nickel-containing protective layer and/or a second intermediate layer is applied between the nickel-containing protective layer and the sealing layer and/or a cover layer is applied on the sealing layer. The sealing layer may be free of chromium.

Laser devices include a light source that emits a laser beam, an optical system that concentrates the laser beam emitted from the light source, an optical window through which the laser beam exited from the optical system passes, a housing that accommodates the optical system, and an optical window holding member fixed to the housing. The optical window holding member holds the optical window. In the first laser device, the optical window has a face or a protruding face through which the laser beam passes. When the optical window has the face, the face is flush with an edge of the optical window holding member and a film is formed on the face. When the optical window has the protruding face, the protruding face protrudes with reference to the edge of the optical window holding member and a film is formed on the protruding face.

Laser devices include a light source that emits a laser beam, an optical system that concentrates the laser beam emitted from the light source, an optical window through which the laser beam exited from the optical system passes, a housing that accommodates the optical system, and an optical window holding member fixed to the housing. The optical window holding member holds the optical window. In the first laser device, the optical window has a face or a protruding face through which the laser beam passes. When the optical window has the face, the face is flush with an edge of the optical window holding member and a film is formed on the face. When the optical window has the protruding face, the protruding face protrudes with reference to the edge of the optical window holding member and a film is formed on the protruding face.

A spark plug is disclosed that includes at least one bore extending through a shell of the spark plug in order to form a passageway between an annular volume around the spark plug insulator nose and a pre-chamber volume of a pre-chamber device, thus directing a purge of exhaust gases trapped in the annular volume to a space formed by the exterior of the spark plug body and the interior of the pre-chamber device.

A spark plug is disclosed that includes at least one bore extending through a shell of the spark plug in order to form a passageway between an annular volume around the spark plug insulator nose and a pre-chamber volume of a pre-chamber device, thus directing a purge of exhaust gases trapped in the annular volume to a space formed by the exterior of the spark plug body and the interior of the pre-chamber device.

A spark plug includes a plug cap having a plurality of through holes. In a cross section including an axial line, the plug cap includes an enlarging portion in a portion of a region between a first imaginary straight line and a second imaginary straight line, the first imaginary straight line extending through a front end of the end portion of a ground electrode and being perpendicular to the axial line, the second imaginary straight line extending through a back end of one of inner open ends of the through holes that is closest to a front end of the spark plug and being perpendicular to the axial line. The enlarging portion being a portion in which a minimum distance from an outer surface to an inner surface of the plug cap increases with increasing distance in a direction from back to front.

A spark plug includes a plug cap having a plurality of through holes. In a cross section including an axial line, the plug cap includes an enlarging portion in a portion of a region between a first imaginary straight line and a second imaginary straight line, the first imaginary straight line extending through a front end of the end portion of a ground electrode and being perpendicular to the axial line, the second imaginary straight line extending through a back end of one of inner open ends of the through holes that is closest to a front end of the spark plug and being perpendicular to the axial line. The enlarging portion being a portion in which a minimum distance from an outer surface to an inner surface of the plug cap increases with increasing distance in a direction from back to front.

A spark plug includes: a center electrode; a ground electrode that is provided such that a gap for spark discharge is formed between the center electrode and the ground electrode; and a plug cover covering the center electrode and the ground electrode from a front side to form an auxiliary chamber, the plug cover being provided with a through hole, wherein 60% or more of the auxiliary chamber is present in a sphere. The sphere t has a center at a midpoint of a line segment connecting the center electrode and the ground electrode at a shortest distance on an axial line of the center electrode and is in contact with a point located closest from the center on an inner open end of the through hole is imagined.