The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 28, 1995
Filed:
May. 28, 1993
Kevin W Smith, North Webster, IN (US);
Terry L Hygema, North Webster, IN (US);
Heaters Engineering, Inc., North Webster, IN (US);
Abstract
A heater assembly for electrically heating fuel subsequent to its being sprayed from a fuel injector has a body that receives an end portion of the fuel injector and a heating structure. The heating structure includes a heat sink formed from an electrically and thermally conductive metal or metal alloy having an opening formed therein for receiving fuel sprayed from the nozzle of the fuel injector, one or more integrally formed flats on an exterior surface of the heat sink, and one or more substantially flat heating elements mounted in heat conducting relation to the flats. The substantially flat heating elements may be formed from Positive Temperature Coefficient material. An electric supply is provided for powering the one or more heating elements and a control device is provided for regulating the power supplied from the electric supply. An electrically conductive spring is used to complete an electric circuit between the heat sink, the one or more substantially flat heating elements, the electric supply, and the control device. The spring may also be used to mount the one or more substantially flat heating elements to the one or more integrally formed flats.