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. 20, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 09, 1999
Tsuneo Ito, Nagoya, JP;
NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd., Aichi-ken, JP;
Abstract
A ceramic heater includes a cylindrical member; a ceramic heating member, which is disposed within the cylindrical member such that an end portion thereof is projected from an end of the cylindrical member; and a metallic shell, which surrounds the cylindrical member. The ceramic heating member includes a ceramic body and a U-shaped conductive ceramic element, which is embedded in an end portion of the ceramic body. A direction-changing portion of the conductive ceramic element generates heat through electrical resistance when electricity is supplied to the conductive ceramic element through electrodes connected to the end portions of the conductive ceramic element. The electrodes are disposed such that the distance L between the ends of the electrodes and the end of the metallic shell satisfies the expression L≦1 mm, where the distance L is considered negative when the ends of the electrodes are located within the metallic shell.