Abstract: A method for determining a heating characteristic of a glow plug, wherein pulse-width-modulated voltage pulses are applied to the glow plug and an electric variable is measured repeatedly during a voltage pulse with the heating characteristic of the glow plug determined by evaluating the difference of successive measurement results of this variable.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a hot surface igniter (HSI) controller which is transformerless and which is capable of delivering power from a 120/240 VAC RMS mains voltage, for example, to a load whose nominal operational voltage is equivalent to 24 VAC RMS, for example, sinusoidal full wave AC Voltage. The controller provides an impulse range which is mainly designed to deliver power to hot surface igniter active loads with sufficient thermionic inertia and mass, and where the real voltage shape of supplied power is unimportant. This is achieved by supplying half-cycle pulses to the HIS that are separated by even number of half-cycles that are not supplied to the HIS. Thus the consecutively applied half-cycles are always of opposing polarity.

Abstract: The invention relates to a glow plug comprising a housing in which an inner conductor is disposed, a metal sleeve which is inserted into the housing, and a ceramic glow pin which is disposed in the metal sleeve, wherein the two ends of the glow pin protrude from the metal sleeve and the rear end of the pin is connected to the inner conductor, and wherein the metal sleeve has a tapering section at the rear end, the section enclosing a tapering section of the glow pin. According to the invention, the glow pin is pressed into the metal sleeve. The invention further relates to a method for connecting a pin made of functional ceramic to a metal sleeve.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a heating element in a motor vehicle by pulse width modulation, wherein fluctuations in the supply voltage are compensated for by adapting the duty cycle so as to achieve a desired heating output. According to the invention, during a voltage pulse the voltage that is present at the heating element and/or the current flowing through the heating element are measured at specified intervals, and the measured values or values determined therefrom are added to calculate a sum value, which rises with the energy that is fed into the heating element by the voltage pulse, and the voltage pulse is ended at the latest when the sum value has reached a target value. The invention furthermore relates to a glow plug controller for carrying out the method according to the invention.

Abstract: An electrification control apparatus (101) for glow plugs GP1 to GPn includes temperature-raising-period electrification control units S3 to S7, S31, S32 for raising the temperature of a heater section (2) of each glow plug. The control units perform electrification control in such manner that, even when a first glow plug GP1 and a second glow plug GP1e, which are of the same industrial part number but differ in resistance due to a characteristic variation therebetween, are selectively connected to the electrification control apparatus (101) and electrification control is performed therefor, at sampled timings t during the temperature rise, electric power of the same magnitude P(t) as that of electric power supplied to the first glow plug GP1 is supplied to the second glow plug GP1e.

Abstract: The invention provides an ignition control device and a killing control device correspond. An ignition control device comprises an ignition circuit module and a killing control device corresponds. The ignition circuit module comprises a killing control device including a killing switch and a timing retard circuit module connected to the ignition circuit module. When the killing control operates, the ignition circuit stops igniting. The invention has following advantages: reasonable structure, low cost, stable control circuit and safe operation and so on.

Abstract: A ceramic heater comprising a ceramic body, a heat generating resistor buried in the ceramic body, an electrode pad that is electrically connected to the heat generating resistor and is formed on the surface of the ceramic body and a lead member bonded onto the electrode pad.

Abstract: There is provided a control device for a glow plug, capable of controlling the energization of a resistance heater of the glow plug by a resistance control process while attaining good resistance control response under cooling of the heater by fuel injection and combustion gas and thereby stably controlling the amount of heat generated by the heater. The resistance heater includes a resistive heating element having a ratio of electrical resistance R1000 at 1000° C. to electrical resistance R20 at 20° C. of 6 or larger, and the glow plug is mounted with at least part of the resistive heating element being protrudingly located in an engine combustion chamber. Under such a condition, the control device controls energization of the resistance heater in a steady control mode to adjust electrical power supplied to the resistance heater in such a manner as to keep a resistance of the heater within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A sheathed element glow plug having an ionic current sensor and a method of operating such a sheathed element glow plug are provided. The sheathed element glow plug includes a housing and a rod-shaped heating element arranged in a concentric bore in the housing. The heating element has at least one insulation layer, a first feeder layer, and a second feeder layer, the first feeder layer and the second feeder layer being connected by a web on the combustion chamber-side end of the heating element, the first and second feeder layers and the web being made of an electrically conducting ceramic material, and the insulation layer being made of an electrically insulating ceramic material. The heating element has at least one ionic current detection electrode made of an electrically conducting ceramic material.

Abstract: A sheathed-element glow plug having an ionic-current sensor, as well as a method for operating a sheathed-element glow plug having an ionic-current sensor are described, the sheathed-element glow plug having a housing and a rod-shaped heating element arranged in a concentric bore hole of the housing. The heating element has at least one insulating layer as well as a first lead layer and a second lead layer, the first lead layer and the second lead layer being connected via a bar at the end of the heating element on the combustion chamber side, the first and second lead layers and the bar being made of electroconductive ceramic material, and the insulating layer being made of electrically insulating ceramic material. The heating element has a first electrode for detecting ionic current and a second electrode for detecting ionic current which are embedded in the insulating layer or applied on the insulating layer.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a glow plug (1) with an ion current detecting function, which is mounted in a combustion chamber of a Diesel engine. The glow plug includes an insulator (8); a heating element (6) embedded in the insulator and energized through a pair of lead wires (11a, 11b) to generate heat; and an ion current detecting electrode (14) embedded in the insulator with a portion exposed into a flame in the combustion chamber so that an ionization state in the flame can be detected. The heating element of the glow plug promotes ignition and combustion of fuel in the combustion chamber (7) due to its heating action caused when running the heating element hot. The ion current detecting electrode detects an ionization state in the combustion flame. When detecting ion current, the ion current detecting electrode and the adjacent inner wall of the combustion chamber form two electrodes for capturing positive and negative ions existing between both when burning the fuel.

Abstract: A protective control box is disclosure for providing protection for a starter system and other components of equipment, such as vehicles, incorporating internal combustion engines. Improved starter protection apparatus and circuitry using frequency to voltage conversion disables a starter motor from starting the internal combustion engine when engine speed exceeds a pre-determined level. The starter cannot be re-actuated until and unless engine speed has fallen below a second lower pre-determined speed level. The protection box includes a lockout solenoid which in turn selectively locks out the main starter solenoid in accordance with the foregoing conditions. A wait-to-start lamp and associated comparator and latching circuitry is provided for actuating the wait lamp in response to initiation of glow plug controller pre-glow operation, and for subsequently extinguishing the lamp. Once extinguished, the lamp cannot be re-actuated until and unless the ignition has been toggled.

Abstract: An improved glow plug controller for a diesel engine is disclosed. The glow plug controller has a novel packaging, and means for facilitating rapid and inexpensive assembly. A novel two-chamber tubular housing includes a smaller first chamber having a threaded exterior surface for engagement with a threaded hole in an engine block. This first chamber communicates with a larger second chamber also defined by the housing. A connector bearing conductive connector pins is provided for sealing the open end of the larger chamber. The connector includes a pair of support rails for engaging a piece of circuit board on which glow plug circuitry resides. In assembly, the circuit board is first mounted on the support rails which are subsequently inserted into the larger second chamber when the connector is affixed to the open end of the second chamber. The connector pins are conductively coupled to glow plug circuitry on the circuit board via portions of conductive foil on a surface of the circuit board.

Abstract: A gas burner control system includes an electrical resistance igniter, gas valve means, and a microcomputer and related circuitry. The microcomputer and related circuitry control energizing of the igniter in such a manner so that the igniter, after successive ignition attempts, will eventually, in response to a learning routine, be heated to a desired ignition temperature. The microcomputer and related circuitry also control operation of a circulator blower in response to burner flame and provide for numerous checks on the integrity of system components.

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 control device for an automatic furnace comprises a relay (2), whose armature (3) has two independent contact holders (4, 5) and a bimetallic element (6) with a control arm (7). By means of snap switches a contact holder (4), a contact holder (8) for operating an ignition device and a contact holder (9) for disconnecting the control device are connected to control arm (7). The minimum spacing between the two armature parts (4, 5) is defined by a bar (15) on armature part (5). If flame formation fails in the furnace, bimetallic element (6) is energized until the control device is switched off by switching over contact holder (9). If a photoelectric cell controlling the switching on of relay (2) becomes conductive due to outside light during the starting and repetition of the control device, the bimetallic element (6) cannot be disconnected by the locking system formed by bar (15) when the fuel valve is closed.