Abstract: A hair curler system in which a number of hair curlers and curler lifters are stored in individual compartments insulated with respect to one another and with respect to the outside to thereby effectively improve energy efficiency of the curler system. The individual compartments are formed by cored-out insulation or by individual heat tubes either of test-tube-like shape having an open or closed bottom or of an inwardly recessed bottom to receive heat posts or rods on a heat plate or accommodate lossy dielectric material.

Abstract: A computer mouse pad is heated for reducing repetitive motion stress for a user and for providing potential therapeutic treatment for the user's hand and wrist while operating a mouse thereon. The pad has a resistance-type heating element which is embedded in the rubber material of the pad. The mouse is either a stationary mouse or a conventional movably positioned mouse and is operated on the level section of the top surface of the pad. If a stationary mouse is utilized, the user's hand and wrist are support by an elevated section of the top surface of the pad. A non-skid surface is on the bottom of the pad. A conventional electric power outlet is utilized as the power source.

Abstract: A resistor, such as a resistor wire, is contained in a sheet, preferably a low density sheet consisting mainly of inorganic fiber. Adsorbent or absorbent (hereinafter "sorbent" collectively) is fixed to the sheet to obtain sorbing characteristics, such that desorption and reactivation can be accomplished by applying an electric current to the resistor to heat the sheet. A sorbing laminate with many channels may be used by laminating the sorbing sheets. The sorbing sheet can therefore be heated directly from the inner side by the resistor contained in the sheet desorbing the sheets rapidly while the time for reactivating the sorbing sheet is reduced and the reactivation efficiency increased.

Abstract: An expandable band heater having multiple heater segments wherein a jumper type arrangement is utilized between heater segments to reduce the number of sets of lead wires or other termination configuration for providing power to each of the heater segments.

Abstract: A electrical heater device for heating the interior of an automobile including a housing that is mounted to an automobile heater core. The housing has a top plate with an interior surface, a bottom plate and a pair of side plates. The housing has a first electrical wire that is positioned on the interior surface and is capable of extending along one of the side plates. The housing has a second electrical wire that is in series within the housing and coupled with the first wire at a housing wire end. Included is a plurality of heating coils that are positioned along the second electrical wire. Also, included is a switch mechanism that has a knob and a contact casing with a contact wire end of the first wire therein. The casing has a third electrical wire with a switching end and is coupled to a battery of the automobile. The knob allows an electrical bridge to form for transmission of an electric current to pass into the wire for charging of the plurality of heating coils.

Abstract: An electric heating device includes a plurality of heating elements which are assembled to form a block. Such a heating element is formed from two metal plates, with the interposition of PTC elements. In order to increase the heat transfer, the metal plates are provided with corrugation ribs. Each heating element includes a pair of metal plates which are angled off essentially in the form of an L such that the angled-off sections are connected in a frictionally locking manner to each other. The angled-off sections are arranged at opposite ends of the heating elements and angled in opposite directions, the length of the angled-off sections of the metal plates being dimensioned such that angled-off sections of one pair of metal plates are in mutual abutment with angled-off sections of respectively adjacent pairs of metal plates.

Abstract: A heating element for heating crucibles, including a cylindrical hollow body which is divided by slits into meandrous segments. The corners between adjacent lateral surfaces of the meanders are rounded. Sectional transition areas are located in the vicinity of the upper and lower edges of the meandrous segments. Each sectional area has an outer rounded edge with a radius of curvature equal to the individual length of each meandrous section.

Abstract: A method, machine and termination for connecting two or more insulated wire ends includes placing them in a metal tube held between fusing electrodes. The electrodes are shaped to deform the tube and wires therein with the application of fusing pressure. During fusing, pressure builds first to press the assembly together, then heat and current are applied as the tube and internal wires are compressed. Fusing current first flows from a longitudinal region of the tube equally in both direction through the tube metal to soften the tube and distribute the fusing heat broadly. As the wire insulation is burned off or flows away, current also passes through the bare wire ends to aid the fusing process. For tinned copper tubes, some of the inside tin layer flows to wet copper surfaces and dissolve copper impurities. Some tin flows to seal small spaces between the fused wires. Some of the tin on the outside surface and inside surface of the tube may vaporize.

Abstract: A system for automatically defogging both the windshield and rear window of an automobile. The system includes moisture and dew detection sensors positioned on the interior surfaces of the windshield and the rear window of the automobile. The sensors transmit an electrical current signal to a program control module. If the current received by the program control module from either of the windshield sensors exceeds a predetermined response threshold, it will energize a relay to activate the windshield blower. On the other hand, should the program control module receive a signal from one of the sensors on the rear window, it will energize another relay to activate a resistance heating grid on the rear window. When the condensation on either the windshield or rear window has been evaporated, the program control module will deactivate the associated defogging device.

Abstract: The wiper rest area of an automotive windshield is heated by a heatable member optionally mounted on a polyester substrate or heating element. The windshield includes outer and inner glass sheets secured together by an interlayer. The heating element is positioned on inner surface of the outer glass sheet and held in position by the interlayer securing the inner and outer sheets together. The heating element or heatable member has extensions extending beyond the edge of the windshield to provide external electrical access to the heatable member to power the heating element to heat the wiper rest area or position.

Abstract: An electrically heatable converter body formed of thin metal core elements and a housing. The thin metal core elements have a distal end and a proximal end. The distal ends are secured to the housing, and at least some, preferably all, of the proximal ends are free of attachment to any rigid member.

Abstract: A protective device that provides protection against infection by accidental skin puncturing. The device includes a flexible expanse, at least a portion of which has a multi-layer construction that includes (i) inner and outer, flexible, electrically conductive layers, and (ii) a flexible insulative sheet separating said conductive layers. A voltage applied across the two layers is effective to heat the tip of a needle, scalpel, or the like, when such pierces the cover, to a temperature effective to destroy at least a portion of the infectious agent.

Abstract: A honeycomb heater including a honeycomb structure which is made of a conductive material and which has a number of passages substantially parallel to a gas flow direction partitioned by partition walls and which has respective providing a gas inlet and a gas outlet, and at least two electrodes for electrification provided on the honeycomb structure. The honeycomb heater is characterized in that besides the passages, orifices which have a larger hydraulic diameter than the passages and which narrow a current flow path are formed at predetermined positions of the honeycomb structure to adjust resistance, whereby a specific region of the honeycomb heater is locally heated more quickly as compared with other regions at the time of the electrification.

Abstract: An improvement is proposed in a ceramic heater which is an integral body comprising a flat substrate plate made from an electrically insulating ceramic material, e.g., fused silica glass, and a layer of an electroconductive material formed on one surface of the substrate plate in a pattern of an electric heater element. One of the surfaces of the insulating substrate plate, on which the heater layer is formed, is subjected to a surface roughening treatment, e.g., by sand blasting, prior to the formation of the heater layer so as to be imparted with a specified surface roughness so that the heat generated in the heater layer and transmitted to the other surface as infrared rays is irregularly scattered .

Abstract: An electrically heatable honeycomb body, in particular a carrier body for a catalytic converter, includes wound, stacked or otherwise layered sheet-metal layers along which a fluid can flow in a primary flow direction, with at least some of the layers being structured. At least one layer has openings for lengthening and/or narrowing an electrically conductive path therein. The structuring of the layers and the formation and disposition of the openings cause adjacent layers to touch substantially only at locations without the openings in the at least one layer. A sheet-metal layer has raised locations and a periodic and in particular approximately undulating or trapezoidal structure with rising and falling regions and a periodicity defining a period.

Abstract: A heater element assembly for an electric heater, with a first and a second spaced element support. The first spaced element support has a peripheral edge surface and first and second slots extending inwardly from the edge surface, and an aperture therebetween; and a resistive heating element including first and second coiled sections and a connecting section disposed therebetween. The connecting section includes a mediate loop portion, wherein the first and second coiled sections are disposed between and engage the first and second spaced element supports. The connecting section extends through the slots, and the loop portion extends through the aperture, to secure the resistive heating element to the first element support.

Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor device which has a beam transmitter/beam receiver arrangement associated with a beam guide element. The arrangement is disposed together with a heating device in a common housing. In order to install the heating device in a convenient manner in the surrounding area of the sensor device, the heating device consists of at least one heat conducting plate fixed to a support part, which is allocated with its substantial main areas to the beam guide element and is connected by at least one connection arm to the electrical printed circuit board. The heating device includes at least one heating element, which is disposed in the proximity of a connection arm directly on the electrical printed circuit board. For communicating the necessary heat into the heat conducting plate, the printed circuit board is connected at least in a material-locking manner to an associated connection arm.

Abstract: An electrofusion coupling having an encapsulated electrical resistance heating element for fusing together the ends of polyethylene conduit is converted into a valve body by drilling a bore through the wall of the coupling into the flow passage which forms a valve chamber. A valve stem is inserted through an open end of the coupling and upwardly through the bore. A lower end of the stem is retained in the valve chamber and an upper end is connected to an actuator cap for rotating the stem. A ball closure member is then inserted through an open end of the coupling into the chamber for connection to the lower end of the valve stem. Rotation of the stem in the coupling moves the valve member between open and closed positions in the chamber. Polyethylene pipe fittings supporting spring biased valve seats are pressed through the ends of the coupling to capture and center the ball closure member between the seats in the valve chamber.

Abstract: A flexible waterproof mat has an elongated serpentine heating element extending throughout the middle thereof. The heating element is divided into portions and the mat is divided into a segments separated by hinges. Each hinge consists of interlocking flat knuckles formed by the mat. Each portion of the heating element is located in each segment of the mat and is provided with fingers that extend through the knuckles. An electrically conductive pintle extends transversely through the interlocking flat knuckles in order to electrically connect the portions of the heating element together.

Abstract: A insulation system for providing temperature control of a surface includes a flexible heating element, conformable to the surface. Insulating material is disposed adjacent to the heating element. Circuitry is provided for sensing the temperature of the surface. A monitor senses the temperature of the surface and selectively controls the temperature of the heating element in response to the monitoring process.