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:
Apr. 16, 1996
Filed:
Mar. 17, 1994
Mario P Boisvert, Reed City, MI (US);
Thomas P Kienitz, Reed City, MI (US);
Marty M Zoerner, Reed City, MI (US);
Nartron Corporation, Reed City, MI (US);
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. Each area of foil is aligned with a respective one of the connector pins, and the connector pins are directly conductively coupled to the foil areas by soldering. A unique short circuit cutoff is provided wherein a short circuit in the glow plug relay control disables application of power to the relay control circuit, and the power is re-enabled if the short circuit condition is remedied and the power to the glow plug controller is toggled.