Abstract: A self temperature control type glow plug has a metallic shell in which ceramic heater having a glow resistor of a tungsten-based alloy embedded in a silicon nitride ceramic is placed in a manner to extend beyond the front end of the shell. A temperature-regulating resistor of nickel, iron or nickel-iron alloy is embedded within the metallic shell in series with the glow resistor. Each resistor has a positive temperature coefficient (PTC), with the positive temperature coefficient of the glow resistor being smaller than that of the temperature-regulating resistor. The electrical resistance ratio of the temperature regulating resistor to the glow resistor falls within a range of 0.35 to 0.60 at room temperature.

Abstract: A sheath heater is formed by connecting first and second helical resistive elements having different positive resistance temperature coefficients in series, and incorporating the first and second resistive elements in a sheath such that the two resistive elements are embedded in a heat resistance electric insulating powder. The sheath diameter of a sheath portion in which the first resistive element is embedded is set to be smaller than that of a sheath portion in which the second resistive element is embedded. In addition, the first and second resistive elements are connected to each other, through connecting ends extending to be located within the outer diameter of the first resistive element, within a gap larger than the sheath diameter of the sheath portion in which the first resistive element is embedded.

Abstract: Durable glow-plugs utilize, for the heating constitutent material of the heater component of ceramic ignition glow-plugs, admixtures comprising a ceramic phase whose thermal expansion factor is substantially equal to that of the insulator components of the plug and, as a homogeneous dispersion therein, a particulate metal conducting phase whose particles are small enough to keep the internal stresses due to any differences in the thermal expansion factors of the ceramic and the metal particles below a limit at which the ceramic phase may crack or fracture.

Abstract: A method for providing uniform thermal output from a glow plug for use in an auxiliary heater of a motor vehicle having either a 12 volt or 24 volt power supply without the use of multiplier resistors utilizes a glow plug having two heating rods having the same electrical resistance and three electrical terminals. One end of the first and second rods are permanently electrically connected respectively to the first and third terminals and the other end of the first and second rods are permanently electrically connected to the second terminal. The vehicle voltage is determined and if the 12 volt supply is present the first and second terminals are connected to the power supply and the first and third terminals are electrically connected to each other to place the heating rods in parallel. If a 24 volt supply is present, the first and third terminals are connected to the power supply with the second terminal left in connected thereby placing the heating rods in series.

Abstract: A glow plug for diesel engines in which a ceramic heater is supported, with the one end thereof cantilevered toward the outside, by the tip of a hollow holder ceramic heater is composed of a U-shaped heating portion and a pair of leads extending backwards from both ends of the U-shaped heating portion, both being formed integrally by an electrically conductive ceramic material. The outer periphery of at least one of the leads is bonded and held in the holder via an insulating layer. The rear end of the other of the leads is connected by a metallic lead wire to an external connection terminal. The ceramic heater and other component members are bonded integrally by a bonding material containing a reactive metal.

Abstract: A flame-type heater plug for an internal combustion engine includes a plug housing having a proportioning insert for the fuel supply, a heater bar secured at one end in the plug housing with a free end extending outwardly of the plug housing, and an evaporation tube extending along a substantial length of the plug housing from the proportioning insert and surrounding the heating bar to form an annular interspace therebetween. The free end of the heater bar extends from the evaporator tube and is surrounded by a flame tube including passage orifices for passage of intake air into the interior of the flame tube. A helical swirl channel on the outer surface of the heating bar in the plug housing forms a fuel connection between the proportioning insert and the evaporator tube opening into the annular interspace. The passage orifices may be provided with deflectors to prevent direct contact of the heating bar by the air flowing therethrough.

Abstract: An incandescent plug for an air-compressing internal combustion engine, with a plug body (3), with a connector (5) for the application of electrical current and with an incandescent tube (2) which is attached to the plug body at one end is closed at its opposite end, and a wire filament-like resistance element (4) which embedded in an electrically insulating material (7) in the incandescent tube (2), is able to be heated with lower electrical output by the wire filament-shaped resistance element (4) being confined within the region of the opposite end of the incandescent tube which is remote from the plug body (3).

Abstract: Operation of unthrottled internal combustion engines is improved by providing the combustion chambers with an electrically heated glow plug having a catalyst surface layer on the ignition element. The catalyst is heated to and maintained at a temperature high enough to be effective for vaporization of fuel drops and ignition of vaporized fuel by controlled electrical heating. In operation of the engine air is compressed in a combustion chamber and at least a portion of the fuel is injected during the latter portion of the compression stroke and the injected fuel ignited by contact of fuel with the hot catalytic surface of the glow plug resulting in a combustion pressure wave in the immediate vicinity of top dead center.

Abstract: An electric glow element has a heating-conductor coiled band inside of a glow-coil dish, with a mechanically strong clamped connection between the coiled band and the glow-coil dish. The connection has good electrical conductivity, and is formed by a first bead in the glow-coil dish base wall and a side wall of the glow-coil dish which is concavely curved towards the inside of the dish. A second bead is formed outside of the first bead, and serves to clamp a band end of the heating-conductor coiled band firmly, fixing the heating-conductor coiled band end between the base wall and the side wall. In a second embodiment, a single bead connects the base wall and the curved side wall. The single bead extends below the plane of the base wall, and receives the second band end. The second band end extends out of the coil plane of the coil, and the glow coil is disposed in the interior of the glow coil dish and is oriented so as to have its coil plane generally parallel to the base wall.

Abstract: A self temperature control type glow plug includes first and second resistor elements and a sheath. The sheath diameter of a first portion of the sheath in which the first resistor element is embedded is set to be smaller than the sheath diameter of a second portion of the sheath in which the second resistor element is embedded, wherein the ratio of the latter diameter of the former diameter ranges from 1.3:1 to 2:1. A tapered portion of the sheath joining the first and second sheath portions encloses a gap larger than at least the sheath diameter of the portion in which the first resistor element is embedded between the first and second resistor elements. The first and second resistor elements are connected to each other within the gap through a connecting means having a substantially zero resistance.

Abstract: The invention relates to a flame-type heater plug for an air-compression fuel-injection internal-combustion engine, especially a direct-injection and superchargable internal-combustion engine. The heater plug includes a heater tube arranged in the course of a plug housing and protective tube and has an integrated first control coil at a level of passage orifices in the protective tube, heating coil and a second control coil arranged outside the protective tube at a side of the heating coil opposite the first control coil. A heater-tube portion which projects from the protective tube and is located in the flow path of the intake air in the suction pipe of the internal-combustion engine is provided in which the second control coil is arranged for further influencing the power of the heating oil.

Abstract: A sheath heater includes a metal sheath, a coil-like heater, and a heat-resistant insulating powder. The starting form of the metal sheath has a small-diameter cylindrical portion at its distal end and is formed to have a substantially tubular shape as a whole. The heater is fabricated by inserting the coil-like heater in the sheath. The heat-resistant insulating powder is charged in the sheath and holds the coil-like heater in the sheath so that the coil-like heater is electrically insulated from the sheath. The distal end portion of the sheath is melted and so that the confronting end of the coil-like heater is buried so as not to be exposed on the outer wall of a closing portion at the distal end of the sheath. The melting of the sheath end can be done by using plasma, electron-beam or laser welding techniques.

Abstract: A sheathed-element glow plug has a front resistance heating filament connected in series with a rear resistance regulating filament having a higher positive temperature coefficient (PTC) than the front filament. The rear filament is made of cobalt/iron alloy consisting of 44-80% by weight cobalt, 20-35% by weight iron, up to 1% miscellaneous components and nickel, if present, in an amount of 0 to less than 15% by weight. The alloy has a resistance ratio (20.degree.-1000.degree. C.) which is no more than approximately 7.5 in the range from about 100.degree. C. to between about 400.degree. C. to about 600.degree. C., and which ratio rises sharply to values from 7.5 to greater thin 12 in the range from 400.degree. C. to 600.degree. C. to about 900.degree. C.

Abstract: A glow plug for an air compressing internal combustion engine of the type having a tube which is closed at one end and connected to a plug housing on an opposite end with a wire filemant-like resistance element disposed in an insulating material within the tube and formed two series-connected resistance filaments, of which the rear resistance filament, serves as a regulating filament, having a higher positive temperature resistance coefficient than the front resistance filament, which serves as a heating filament, is improved so as to enable the heating up time to be reduced without adversely impacting upon the effective life of the glow plug. In accordance with various embodiments, this result is achieved through the use of, for example, special alloys for the material of the regulating filament which have a resitance at 1000.degree. C. that is greater than their resistance at 20.degree. C. by a resistance ratio over about 7.5:1, and preferably greater than 12:1, and in particular, about 14:1.

Abstract: The present invention is an electrical device made up of a mixture of silicon carbide and molybdenum disilicide, and may include silicon nitride or aluminum nitride or boron nitride. An electrical device is also disclosed which is particularly suited for use as an igniter in liquid and gas fuel burning systems. The device is made up of a sintered, preferably hot-pressed, mixture of fine powders of aluminum nitride or silicon nitride, silicon carbide and molybdenum disilicide where, when all three are present, they are present in substantial quantities.

Abstract: An electrically conductive ceramic material containing at least 20 wt % of Mo.sub.5 Si.sub.3 C and having a resistance-temperature coefficient no greater than 5.times.10.sup.-4 deg.sup.-1 is used to make the heating element of a self-controlling type glow plug having a resistor with a larger temperature-resistance coefficient, such as iron or nickel, connected in series to the heating element for controlling the supply of electric current to the heating element. The ceramic material is made by firing a ceramic powder mixture of Mo and Si mixed with carbon black.

Abstract: An improved mechanical joint structure is provided and adapted for positively retaining a heating element within a bore of a body of a glow plug. The glow plug includes a body, a heating element and a ferrule. The ferrule is sealingly positioned radially between an internal surface of the body bore and a peripheral surface of the heating element. The glow plug further includes a compressing structure for positively compressing an internal surface of the ferrule against the peripheral surface of the heating element in response to the heating element being forced into the body bore by, for example, the gas pressure developed in an operating engine combustion chamber.Unlike conventional brazed or interference joints used in typical glow plugs, the present invention provides a normal force (F.sub.n), for sealing the heating element, and an axially-directed frictional force (F.sub.f), for retaining the heating element, which both increase as the heating element is forced deeper into the body bore.

Abstract: The service life of conventional glow plugs is extremely short when they are continuously energized at an elevated temperature during engine operation in order to assist ignition of non-autoignitable fuels. Such glow plugs typically fail due to thermal stresses and/or oxidation and corrosion.Herein is disclosed an improved heating element assembly adapted for incorporation in a glow plug. The heating element assembly includes a monolithic sheath having a relatively-thin and generally annular wall defining a blind bore. The heating element assembly further includes a heating device positioned in the blind bore and adapted to emit heat, and a heat transfer device adapted to transfer heat from the heating means to the sheath. The heating device includes a heating filament and a ceramic insulator. THe heating filament is protected against oxidation by being encapsulated in the insulator. The insulator is protected against corrosion by being encapsulated in the sheath.

Abstract: The service life of conventional glow plugs is extremely short when they are continuously energized at an elevated temperature during engine operation in order to assist ignition of non-autoignitable fuels. Such glow plugs typically fail due to thermal stresses and/or oxidation and corrosion. Herein is disclosed an improved heating element assembly adapted for incorporation in a glow plug. The heating element assembly includes a monolithic sheath having a relatively-thin and generally annular wall defining a blind bore. The heating element assembly further includes a heating device positioned in the blind bore and adapted to emit heat, and a heat transfer device adapted to transfer heat from the heating means to the sheath. The heating device is protected by the sheath formed of a preselected material which is chosen and configured so as to minimize failure of the heating element assembly caused by thermal stresses, oxidation and/or corrosion.

Abstract: A ceramic heater type glow plug includes a U-shaped ceramic heater consisting of a resistive ceramic material, a hollow metal holder, an external connecting terminal, a power control resistor, and a connecting unit. The hollow metal holder has a distal end portion for supporting the ceramic heater via insulating members. The external connecting terminal is insulatingly supported at a rear end of the metal holder. The power control resistor is arranged between one of terminal caps at a rear end side of the ceramic heater housed in the metal holder and the external connecting terminal and performs power supply control with respect to the ceramic heater. The connecting unit connects another one of the terminal caps at the rear end side of the ceramic heater to the metal holder. The power control resistor consists of a metal material having a larger positive resistance temperature coefficient than that of the resistive ceramic material constituting the ceramic heater.

Abstract: The present invention is an electrical device made up of a mixture of silicon carbide and molybdenum disilicide, and may include silicon nitride or aluminum nitride or boron nitride. An electrical device is also disclosed which is particularly suited for use as an igniter in liquid and gas fuel burning systems. The device is made up of a sintered, preferably hot-pressed, mixture of fine powders of aluminum nitride or silicon nitride, silicon carbide and molybdenum disilicide where, when all three are present, they are present in substantial quantities.

Abstract: A method of forming an electrical heating element in the form of an electrically non-conductive supporting body onto which an electrically resistive material is deposited, the method comprising the steps of preparing a dry metal powder of irregularly shaped metal particles of widely varying sizes, in the range 20-150 microns, roughening the surface of a supporting body onto which a heating element is to be formed, pre-heating said surface of the supporting body to a temperature within the range of 150.degree.-250.degree. C. and flame spraying the dry metal powder onto said heated surface of the supporting body in a plurality of passes over the supporting body. The effective resistivity of the flame sprayed deposit is predetermined by adjusting the amount of oxidation on the surfaces of the metallic particles sprayed onto the supporting body.

Abstract: A glow plug for a diesel engine includes a first resistor serving as a heating element, second and third resistors, a sheath which incorporates the first, second, and third resistors, a heat-resistant insulating powder filled in the sheath to insulate the first, second, and third resistors from each other, and a cylindrical housing for holding the sheath. The second and third resistors are connected in series with the first resistor, are made of a material having a positive resistance-temperature coefficient, and have a positive resistance-temperature coefficient larger than that of the first resistor. The heat capacity of a given sheath portion having the third resistor therein is set larger than that of the other sheath portions.

Abstract: A diesel engine preheating apparatus connects a plurality of glow plugs arranged in corresponding cylinder chambers of a multicylinder diesel engine in series or parallel with or in series and parallel with a power source. The glow plugs are selected from body-grounded type unipolar and bipolar glow plugs. The bipolar glow plug selected from the diesel engine glow plugs includes first and second external connecting terminals which are respectively connected to thin-walled portions of first and second terminal connecting plates located on substantially the same plane. The thin-walled portions interpose an insulating member therebetween, are located at opposite surface sides, and are provided with portions which do not overlap each other when viewed from an upper surface.

Abstract: A glow plug including a shell provided with an axially extending bore and a tubular sheath partially located in the bore and partially projecting from the shell. At least a first electrical resistance is located in the portion of the sheath extending outside the shell. The tubular sheath is filled with two different powders. Both powders have good electrical insulating characteristics. The first powder is located in the free closed end of the sheath and has good thermal conductivity characteristics. The second powder is located in the portion of the sheath located in the shell bore and has good thermal insulating characteristics. The interface between the two powders can be varied with the design of the glow plug and the type of resistance located in the sheath.

Abstract: A glow plug for diesel engines in which a ceramic heater is supported, with the one end thereof cantilevered toward the outside, by the tip of a hollow holder; the ceramic heater is composed of a U-shaped heating portion and a pair of leads extending backwards from both ends of the U-shaped heating portion, both being formed integrally by an electrically conductive sintered sialon, which is formed by adding a small amount of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 to a raw meal containing Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 as a principal ingredient, a small amount of AlN polytype and no greater than 5 wt. % of Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, and mixing the addition product with 23-70 vol.

Abstract: A diesel engine glow plug having an elongated hollow electrically conductive holder, which holds a rod-like ceramic heater at one end thereof such that one end of the heater extends outside the holder. An external connecting terminal is positioned in the other end of the hollow holder and electrically insulated from the hollow holder. The ceramic heater is a U-shaped heating element with a pair of parallel lead portions made of a resistive ceramic material extending backward from both ends of the U-shaped heating element and arranged such that the outer surfaces of the lead portions are held by the distal end of the holder through electrical insulating layers between the inner surface of the holder and the outer surface of the lead portions.

Abstract: A glow plug for a diesel engine includes a hollow holder, and a ceramic heater made of SiAlON extending through a distal end portion of the hollow holder and held by it. The ceramic heater is provided with a U-shaped heating element and a pair of lead portions extending backward from both ends of the U-shaped heating element and parallel to each other. The heating element and the pair of lead portions are integrally made of a resistive ceramic material. One of the lead portions is coupled to one end of an electrically conducting flexible wire, the other end of the wire being coupled to an external connecting terminal. A ration .epsilon.(.dbd.SH/SL) of cross-sectional areas SH of the U-shaped heating element to cross-section areas SL of the lead portions falls within the range of 0.15.ltoreq..epsilon..gtoreq.0.6.

Abstract: The invention relates to a ceramic heater element consisting of a sintered body of a silicon nitride base ceramic and a resistance heating wire such as a tungsten wire embedded in the ceramic body. The ceramic contains Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and AlN besides Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 and is produced by using Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 as sintering aid. The ceramic body is improved in strength and also in stability of the ceramic structure at temperatures up to about 1300.degree. C. by rendering the grain boundary phase of the sintered ceramic a crystalline phase comprising either 2Y.sub.2 O.sub.3.Si.sub.2-x Al.sub.x N.sub.2-x O.sub.1-x (0.ltoreq.x<2) or 3Y.sub.2 O.sub.3.5Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. The heater element is produced by preparing a powder mixture in which (Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 +Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 +AlN) amounts to 90-98 wt %, the balance being the sintering aid, with proviso that (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 +AlN)/Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 is from 0.02 to 0.08 by weight and that (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 /AlN) is from 0.2 to 2.

Abstract: A battery operated barbeque igniter has an igniter implement with an axially extending heater element and a sheath to keep the heater element from accidentally burning anything or anyone as it cools after use. The heater element is positioned inside a metal tube which is closed at one end. The heater element includes a spiral tungsten filament supported between two coaxial quartz tubes. The outer quartz tube is closed at one end. A central steel rod extends the length of the metal tube and serves both to position the tungsten filament inside the metal tube and as an electric conductor to one end of the filament. The rod is brazed to the inner quartz tube and the filament at one end of the filament. The outer quartz tube is brazed to the inner quartz tube and the other end of the filament. The sheath receives the heater element and is slotted to permit cooling of the heater element without inadvertent contact with it.

Abstract: Operation of unthrottled internal combustion engines is improved by providing the combustion chambers with an electrically heated glow plug having a catalyst surface layer on the ignition element. The catalyst is heated to and maintained at a temperature high enough to be effective for vaporization of fuel drops and ignition of vaporized fuel by controlled electrical heating. In operation of the engine air is compressed in a combustion chamber and at least a portion of the fuel is injected during the latter portion of the compression stroke and the injected fuel ignited by contact of fuel with the hot catalytic surface of the glow plug resulting in a combustion pressure wave in the immediate vicinity of top dead center.

Abstract: A glow plug for a diesel engine includes a U-shaped ceramic heater of SIALON supported by a hollow metallic holder. The heater has a U-shaped heating portion projecting from one end of the holder and is supported therein by a pair of parallel ceramic lead portions of a thicknesses greater than the heating portion. One lead portion is electrically connected to the interior of the holder and the other lead portion is electrically insulated from the holder and electrically connected to an external connecting terminal extending into the other end of the holder. The lead portions are spaced from each other to define a slit therebetween open to the interior of the holder. A sintered ceramic sheet of SIALON integrally seals the slit against entry of combustion gases into the interior of the holder.

Abstract: An electrocatalytic converter according to the present invention includes a base portion having a fixing portion formed on an outer wall thereof and a terminal insulatedly provided therein and connected to an electrical source; a plurality of outwardly projected heating fins covered with a thin coating of platinum, palladium and rhodium formed on the outer wall of the heating surface; a heating means, integrally connected to the base portion, having a heating surface formed on a wall surface thereof and composed of a catalyst comprising a transition material and a heating means having a resistive exothermic element connected to the element being provided adjacent.

Abstract: A glow plug has a heater member form by depositing a continuous metallic-silicide layer on the internal and external surfaces of a hollow open-ended cylindrical ceramic substrate. The metallic-silicide layer on the external surface of the substrate is electrically connected to a metal shell which supports one end of the heater member. An axial electrode disposed in the shell is electrically connected to the metallic-silicide layer disposed on the internal surface of the substrate and further serves together with a shoulder on the heater member to lock the heater member in the shell. The metallic-silicide resistive layer has a positive temperature coefficient of resistance and is substantially uneffected by micro-irregularities on the substrate surfaces to provide a cold resistance of from 0.2 to 0.6 ohms and is capable of responding to five amperes of current to develop a temperature of at least 800.degree. C. within five seconds.

Abstract: A flashlight with built-in lighter, which is to attach a cigarette lighting device to a regular flashlight, the cigarette lighting device being composed of: a locating plate fixedly placed inside the housing of the flashlight, a heat-resistant pad fixedly attached to the locating plate, having two semi-circular protrusions to form a groove therebetween for a heating wire to be placed therein, a heat-resistant bushing placed inside a cigarette ligthing hole on the housing of the flashlight with one end fixedly attached to a locating ring that is placed on the heat-resistant pad, a heating wire with both ends fixedly attached to the locating ring and connected with a push-button switch and a power source by electric wire through a series connection thereof; by means of the above arrangement to form a flashlight for illumination and for cigarette lighting.

Abstract: An electrically insulating ceramic sintered body suitably used in a ceramic glow plug, for example, is formed by firing a mixed powder of 75 to 95 vol % of a basic material, 25 to 5 vol % of an additive and a sintering aid. The basic material is composed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, and .beta.-sialon. The additive is composed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of silicide, carbide, nitride, and boride of metal, the additive having a thermal expansion coefficient larger than that of the basic material. And the sintering aid is composed of one of alumina in an amount of 3 to 50 wt % of the total amount of the basic material and the additive, and spinel in an amount of 2 to 15 wt % of the total amount of the basic material and the additive.

Abstract: A glow plug for diesel engines includes a ceramic heater with a U-shaped heating portion and a pair of leads integrally formed with the heating portion and extending backwards from both ends of the heating portion. The heater is supported at one end thereof by a hollow holder in a cantilevered state with one end thereof protruding towards the outside. At least the outside surfaces of the leads are joined to, and held by, the inside of the holder via an insulating layer, and at least the rear ends of the other of the leads are connected via a metallic lead wire to an external connection terminal supported in an insulated state by the rear end of the holder. The ceramic heater is integrally formed from an electrically resistive sintered sialon produced by adding 20-70 vol. % Ti nitride or carbonitride as an electric conductivity donor to .beta.-type sialon or a .alpha./.beta.-type sialon.

Abstract: A diesel engine glow plug includes a hollow holder, a ceramic heater, an electrically conductive annular member, an external connecting terminal, and an insulating sleeve. The annular member is interposed between the rear end portion of the ceramic heater and the distal end portion of the hollow holder. The external connecting terminal engages with the rear end portion of the ceramic heater from the rear end portion of the holder through an interior of the holder. The insulating sleeve is housed in the hollow holder to electrically insulate the external connecting terminal from the hollow holder. The ceramic heater includes a U-shaped heating portion and a pair of parallel lead portions extending backward from the heating portion and terminating in an enlarged diameter portion defining the rear end portion of the heater. One of the lead portions is electrically connected to the holder through the annular member.

Abstract: A ceramic glow plug comprises a ceramic heater formed by embedding a metal wire in a sintered Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 -based ceramic. The ceramic heater is brazed to the inner surface of an axial bore of a metal tube and the metal tube is brazed to the inner surface of an axial bore of a metal holder. The tip of the ceramic heater extends from the metal tube and metal holder and is coated with highly heat and corrosion resistant material to minimize erosion and corrosion due to combustion gases. The coating consists essentially of a thin CVD film of alumina (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3) having a thickness of 2 .mu.m deposited on a precoating AlON layer having a thickness of 0.5 .mu.m formed on the exposed surface of the tip. Alternatively, the protective coating may consist of thin CVD film of silicon carbide (SiC) or silicon nitride (Si.sub.3 N.sub.4) formed directly on the exposed surface of the tip.

Abstract: A super heating glow plug according to the present invention includes a base portion having a fixing portion formed on an outer wall thereof and a terminal insulatedly provided therein and connected to an electrical source; a plurality of outwardly projected heating fins formed on the outer wall of the heating surface; a heating means, integrally connected to the base portion, having a heating surface formed on a wall surface thereof and composed of a catalyst comprising a transition material and a heating means having a resistive exothermic element connected to the element being provided adjacent.

Abstract: In a burner igniter using a ceramic heater, the resistance of the ceramic heater is detected to perform feedback control so that the temperature of the heater is maintained substantially constant to prevent both misfiring and overheating, while rapid temperature rise can also be obtained. The resistance value detected by a bridge circuit is fed to a proportional-integral controller which produces a control signal, while the current fed to the ceramic heater is also detected. The control signal and another signal indicative of the current to the ceramic heater are used to control a power source of the ceramic heater so that the current to the ceramic heater is controlled. A monitoring circuit responsive to both the resistance of the ceramic heater and the current fed to the ceramic heater may be added to warn a user that the life of the ceramic heater will soon end.

Abstract: There is disclosed glow plug for a diesel engine provided with an elongated ceramic heater retained by an opening end of a hollow holder with one end of said ceramic heater being projected toward the outside. The ceramic heater comprises an insulating tubular section of an insulating ceramic material, and a heating body as a continuous conductive section formed so as to cover the outer peripheral portion, the outermost portion and the hollow portion of the insulating tubular section with a conductive ceramic material, the heating body being formed in a manner that the thickness of at least the outer peripheral portion of the insulating tubular member in the vicinity of said one end of the ceramic heater is thinner than that of other portions thereof. The insulating tubular section and the heating body constituting the ceramic heater are integrally formed with the ceramic material which can select insulating property and conductive property by adjusting an amount of titanium nitride added into .beta.

Abstract: A heater backed with a ceramic substrate having a ceramic substrate as a base plate and heating element formed thereon, which comprises a conductor for retaining ionized elements, said conductor branching from a terminal lead portion of the minus side connected to the heater element under an applied electric current and extending at the back side of the base plate, along the heating element pattern at least partly thereof. A protecting layer may be provided on the surface of said conductor. The conductor is connected with the lead portion through a conducting through hole.

Abstract: In a glow element with a glow tube (30) closed at the outer end, in which there at least two series-connected resistors (10, 11), whereby one of the at least two resistors being conductively connected by one end to the closed end of the glow tube and the opposite end of the series-connected resistors being connected to an internal pole (9) projecting into the glow tube from the other end thereof, in order to permit an external wiring of part of the resistors in the glow element, the internal pole (9) has a tubular construction and at least one electrical conductor (8) is passed through the internal pole and is connected to a junction (12) of the at least two resistors (10, 11).

Abstract: A self-regulating temperature controlled glow plug has a hollow metal holder, a rod-like ceramic heater and a power control heater. The ceramic heater extends from one end of the holder and has embedded therein a first resistor of tungsten alloyed with rhenium or molybdenum. The power control heater includes a second resistor embedded in a dense mass of powdered insulation material filling a tubular metallic sheath. The sheath is positioned in the holder with its central portion held in spaced relationship thereto by a thermally insulating spacer at least one end thereof. The second resistor is made of tungsten, iron or nickel, has a positive temperature coefficient of resistance at least equal to and a heating capacity greater than the first resistor, and is connected in series with the first resistor.

Abstract: A ceramic glow plug in which a large resistance suitable for adapting the plug for use with a 24 V battery without having to use a thin or long heating wire. The glow plug includes a ceramic heater having a sintered ceramic body and a heating wire made of an alloy of a high melting point metal such as tungsten embedded in the ceramic body. The ceramic heater is secured to one end of a metal sheath with an outer end portion of the ceramic heater protruding from the end of the metal sheath by as small a distance as possible. A mounting shell receives the other end of the metal sheath. The heating wire is preferably made of a tungsten alloy containing 5 to 39 wt % rhenium to provide the desired resistance.

Abstract: A self-temperature control type glow plug includes a rod heater held at a front end of a hollow metal holder and having one end extending outside the hollow metal holder. The rod heater includes a heating section made of a conductive ceramic material with a small positive temperature coefficient and a control section made of a conductive ceramic material with a positive temperature coefficient larger than that of the heating section. The heating section is formed integrally with the control section.

Abstract: A dual line ceramic glow plug uses a ceramic heater as an incandescent body which protrudes from the bottom of a metal fitting and which is made of an incandescent wire of a refractory metal embedded in a sintered ceramic powder. The bare ends of the incandescent wire terminate in a pair of metal terminal fittings secured to the end of the ceramic heater within the metal fitting. Electrical leads protruding from the terminal fittings are welded to a pair of terminal electrodes projecting outwardly from the top of the metal fitting. The ceramic heater is held in position by a metal sheath that is slipped over and bonded to the middle portion of said heater. The middle portion of the ceramic heater is brazed to the inner surface of the metal sheath in electrically insulated relation thereto with an intervening glass layer formed on the outer surface of the ceramic heater.

Abstract: A thermoelectric generating composite functioning apparatus used as a glow plug in a diesel engine has sintered semiconductor elements respectively formed in the shape of a bar of N-type and P-type thermoelectric semiconductor materials. The N-type and P-type semiconductor elements are provided oppositely with a gap between them, and their end portions are put in mutual contact to form a P-N junction. A low thermal conductivity insulator is filled in the interval between the N-type and the P-type semiconductor elements. The N-type and P-type semiconductor elements provided in the P-N junction state are contained through the insulator in a housing. Lead terminals connected to the N-type and P-type semiconductor elements are formed in the housing. The apparatus may provide heat to the combustion chamber, or generate electricity from the heat in the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A ceramic glow plug includes an unjacketed ceramic heater formed by a coiled heating wire of a high melting point tungsten alloy having a specific resistance of at least 10 .mu. ohms/cm.sup.3 embedded within a sintered ceramic body. The ceramic body has a diameter D of not more than 4.0 mm and is fitted into a hollow metallic cylinder with a tip portion thereof projecting less than three times its diameter D beyond a first axial end of the cylinder. The other end of the metallic cylinder is fitted into a mounting sleeve. The coiled portion of the heating wire is disposed substantially entirely within the projecting tip portion of the ceramic body. A resistor of iron or nickel wire may be positioned in the sleeve and connected in series with the heating wire for inhibiting overheating of the ceramic heater.