Abstract: A sintered ceramic structure for cleaning noxious substances contained in the exhaust gases emitted by an internal combustion engine is disclosed.

Abstract: A porous ceramic monolith for use as a filter (1) for Diesel exhaust gases has inlet bores (61) closed at an outlet end (8) of the filter (1) and outlet bores (62) closed at an inlet end (7) of the filter. The inlet and outlet bores (61 and 62) are interlaced with each other and separated from each other by porous partition walls (3) each having gas-permeable pores therein. The inlet and outlet bores have open ends (9) diverged axialy outwardly of the bores to increase opening ratio in each end of the filter (1) thereby decreasing the pressure loss across the filter.

Abstract: A heating device of the present invention has a heating element of a substantially V-shape and is made of a ceramic material having electric conductivity. Electrode plates are respectively mounted at both ends of the heating element for energizing the heating element. Further, the heating device has a holder for holding the heating element by interposing both ends of the heating element therebetween. This holder is composed of a pair of insulating plates made of an electric insulating material. Both ends of the heating element are formed with projections. One of the insulating plates is formed with recesses for receiving both ends of the heating element in coincidence with the shape of both ends of the heating element.

Abstract: A porous ceramic body is prepared by dipping an organic foam having a three-dimensional network structure in a ceramic slurry to deposit a sufficient amount of the ceramic on the surface of the foam, moving an excess of the ceramic slurry contained in the foam to the intended peripheral region of the foam by exerting centrifugal force on the foam, thereby causing denser ceramic deposition in the peripheral region than in the other region of the foam, and then drying, solidifying, and baking to burn out and dissipate the foam and simultaneously sinter the ceramics.

Abstract: A sintered ceramic electric heater suitably applicable to a glow plug of a diesel engine has a heater element formed of an electrically conductive sintered ceramic integrally sintered with a support member made of an electrically insulating sintered ceramic material. The heater element is formed as a sintered body of a mixture of MoSi.sub.2 powder having an average diameter not greater than 2 .mu.m and 35 to 75 mol % of Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 powder. The average particle diameter of the Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 powder is at least twice as large as that of the MoSi.sub.2 powder so that electrically interconnecting MoSi.sub.2 particles surround scattered Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 particles whereby the resistance of the heater element becomes equal to that of MoSi.sub.2 and the temperature coefficient of the heater element is increased.

Abstract: A sintered ceramic heater, particularly a heater for a glow plug of a diesel engine, includes a sintered ceramic heater, which generates heat upon receiving an electric current, supported by an electrically insulating sintered ceramic body. The heater element includes a U-shaped cross-section outer portion integrally sintered with and covering a central portion. Each portion is formed of a sintered ceramic body of a mixture of electrically conductive ceramic powder having an average diameter of not more than 2 .mu.m and selected from the group consisting of MoSi.sub.2, WSi.sub.2, TiB.sub.2 and TiC, and 35-75 mol % of electrically insulating ceramic powder, e.g., Si.sub.3 N.sub.4. The central and outer portions have the same composition.

Abstract: A ceramic heater of the present invention comprises a sintered heating element bonded to a supporting substrate or a sintered element alone. A sintered body comprises the heating element is mainly composed of silicon nitride with such sintering agents as yttrium oxide to be superior in strength, thermal shock resistance and thermal resistance. The sintered body also includes 10-80 mol % of titanium carbide, titanium nitride or a mixture thereof which are electrically conductive ceramics so that the specific electrical resistance can be controlled.A method for producing a ceramic heater of the present invention consists of the first process in which a powdery mixture is prepared by mixing powders which are made to have structures of a solid solution by previous calcination of silicon nitride and a sintering agent and powders of conductive ceramics which comprise either or both of titanium carbide and titanium nitride, and the second process in which such powdery mixture is formed and sintered by heating.

Abstract: A honeycomb type porous ceramic structure used for collecting particulates exhausted from an internal combustion engine. The porous ceramic structure comprises porous partition walls forming a multiplicity of passage regions positioned adjacent to one another and extending from the upstream side to the downstream side of the porous ceramic structure, and partition portions sectioning the passage regions. And, the passages region are respectively provided with at least one partition portion and some of the passage regions are provided with at least two partition portions, so that said some of the passage regions form at least one intermediate passage inlet passage and outlet passage. The porous ceramic structure is so structured that a fluid such as an automobile exhaust gas pass through the porous partition wall a plurality of times before it comes out of the structure.

Abstract: A ceramic heater comprises a heat generator made of a conductive ceramic sintered body, a supporter made of an insulating ceramic sintered body for supporting the heat generator, and a metallic wire for supplying an electric current from an electrode to the heat generator. The heat generator is integrally covered with an unporous covering layer made of an insulating ceramic sintered body. The covering layer prevents the heat generator from being directly exposed to oil and water. The covering layer is made of, for example Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 or glass containing SiO.sub.2 as a main constituent into a thickness of not more than 1mm.

Abstract: An exhaust gas cleaning device provided with a filter member for collecting particulates in the exhaust gases, and an electric heater for burning and eliminating the particulates collected by the filter member, is disclosed. The filter member is formed of electrically insulating ceramic and is installed in the exhaust gas passage. The heater is formed of ceramic provided with a large number of open passages and having electric conductivity or electrically insulating property. The heater is closely adhered to the exhaust gas inlet end surface of the filter member. In the case that the electrically conductive ceramic is used, the ceramic itself acts as a heating element which heats and ignites the collected particulates. In the case that the electrically insulating ceramic is used, a metallic film acting as a heating element is formed on the walls of the ceramic defining the open passages by printing, vacuum evaporating or other method.

Abstract: A ceramic heater device has a housing section and a heating section. The heating section includes a sintered ceramic insulator attached to a metal housing and a U-shaped sintered ceramic heater body fixed to the insulator, so that the heater body is supported by the housing section by means of the insulator in order to avoid a direct connection between the metal housing and the heater body. As a result, heat generated at the heater body may not be transferred to the metal housing, and thereby the heat can be effectively used to ignite a mixture of air and fuel in an engine and a rigid and stable support of the heater body to the metal housing can be obtained.

Abstract: A ceramic heating element is held in a metal housing to be mounted on an internal combustion engine, so that the heating element is operated as a glow plug for igniting an air-fuel mixture. The ceramic heating element is formed of an electrode section housed in the housing and a heat generating section extending out of the housing, whereby the heat generating section is exposed to the mixture in an engine cylinder. The electrode and heat generating sections are divided into two portions, respectively, and both forward ends of divided heat generating portions are connected with each other, so that electric current flows from one of the electrode portions through the divided heat generating portions to the other electrode portion.

Abstract: A rotational speed number controlling device for automatic transmissions for changing speeds by automatically changing a plurality of centrifugal clutches in response to the number of revolutions of the engine wherein a sliding piece is connected to a rotary shaft to which the rotation of a low speed side centrifugal clutch is to be transmitted so as to be able to transmit rotations and to be slidable in the axial direction in response to the driving torque so that the number of engaging rotations of a high speed side centrifugal clutch may be varied by the sliding of the above mentioned sliding piece caused in response to the driving torque. For example, in the case of a quick acceleration at the time of the second speed running in an automatic three-speed transmission, the high speed side centrifugal clutch may not be immediately engaged but the second speed state may be maintained until a sufficient acceleration and then the high speed side centrifugal clutch may be engaged.

Abstract: An exhaust gas cleaning device for collecting carbon particulates in the exhaust gases, is disclosed. The device is provided with a filter member formed of a material having interconnected pores and an electric heater which is buried within the exhaust gas inlet end portion of the filter member. According to the exhaust gas cleaning device of the present invention, the carbon particulates collected in the inlet end portion of the filter member is directly heated by means of the electric heater which is provided in the inlet end portion of the filter member. Therefore, carbon particulates can be ignited by a small amount of electric power.

Abstract: An intake system for an internal combustion engine comprises a throttling system mounted in an intake pipe between a fuel injection valve and an intake manifold, the throttling system including a stationary valve body fixed in the intake pipe in opposition to the injection valve and a hollow valve body mounted in the intake pipe movably in an axial direction of the intake pipe. The hollow valve body has a downwardly converged inner wall surface surrounding the stationary valve body to define therebetween valve opening of variable opening area. The axial movement of the hollow valve body causes the change in the opening area of the valve opening to control an amount of air-fuel mixture charged therethrough into the engine.

Abstract: A fuel heating apparatus for an internal combustion engine has a tubular extension member extending downwardly from the bottom end of an intake pipe into a mixture distribution chamber defined in an intake manifold beneath the inlet opening thereof connected to the intake pipe. An annular electric heater element is disposed in the mixture distribution chamber in vertical alignment with the tubular extension member so that the part of fuel which flows in liquid phase on the inner peripheral surfaces of the intake pipe and the tubular extension member falls therefrom onto the annular electric heater and heated and vaporized thereby and can be easily mixed with air from the intake pipe.

Abstract: An intake manifold for a multicylinder internal combustion engine having fuel supplying means such as a fuel injection device or a carburetor includes a branch intake conduits each communicating with one of the cylinders of the engine, an extension tube connected to a primary suction conduit of the carburetor, and an incoming fuel charge heating device mounted on the bottom of the intake manifold. The extension tube has a curved portion in its wall directed toward a part of the surface of the bottom of the intake manifold at which the axial center lines of the branch intake conduits gather together and cut to form an open end of the extension tube. The incoming fuel charge heating device has a heating surface disposed near the open end of the extension tube, which is smoothly curved toward the bottom of the intake manifold.

Abstract: An intake system for an internal combustion engine comprises an intake pipe structure connected through an intake manifold to cylinders of the engine, a fuel injection valve for injecting fuel into the intake pipe structure to form an air-fuel mixture, a throttle valve disposed in the intake pipe structure, and a baffle plate disposed in the intake pipe structure between the fuel injection valve and the throttle valve for promoting fuel atomization. The baffle plate has a surface which faces the fuel injection valve with a predetermined distance from the latter in order that the fuel injected from the fuel injection valve may impinge on the surface, and an outer edge spaced from an inner wall surface of the intake pipe structure to define a mixture passage therebetween.

Abstract: An intake system for internal combustion engines comprises a throttling system mounted in an intake pipe between a fuel injection valve and an intake manifold, the throttling system including a stationary valve body fixed in the intake pipe in opposed relation with the injection valve and a hollow valve body mounted in the intake pipe for movement in the axial direction of the intake pipe. The hollow valve body has a downwardly converged inner wall surface surrounding the stationary valve body to define therebetween valve opening of variable opening area. The stationary valve body includes a frusto-conical portion and a cylindrical portion, of which lower edge is in the form of sinusoidal wave to cooperate with the hollow valve body in producing the valve opening of gradually increasing opening area.