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:
Jun. 25, 1996
Filed:
Dec. 14, 1994
Masakatsu Sanada, Numazu, JP;
Tetsuo Nagami, Nagoya, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota, JP;
Abstract
An electrically heated catalytic converter having a scroll-like cylindrical laminated assembly in which belts of thin corrugated metal sheet and a thin plain metal sheet are laminated and wound around a center electrode, and the outermost layers are connected to an outer electrode. The corrugated metal sheet has an insulating coating made of a metal oxide, and the plain metal sheet has no insulating coatings. Conductive connections in which the corrugated metal sheet and the plain metal sheet are electrically connected to each other through the insulating coating of the corrugated metal sheet are made at predetermined positions in the layers of the laminated assembly and electric paths of desired shapes are formed by these conductive connections. The corrugated metal sheet and the plain metal sheet are connected in the areas around the respective conductive connections in such a manner that the metal sheets are isolated from each other. Thus, the cross sectional area of the respective conductive connections can be reduced without reducing the total connection area between the metal sheets. Since the cross sectional area of the respective connections can be reduced, the intensity of the electric current is increased in the conductive connections. Therefore, the conductive connections are heated rapidly by electric current and reach the activating temperature of the catalyst carried by the metal sheets.