Electrical heaters for exhaust aftertreatment systems and assemblies
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorThomas Adam Collins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrical heater assembly, an exhaust treatment assembly, and method of manufacture. The electrical heater assembly includes a heater body including a plurality of slots disconnecting portions of the heater body from each other. Each slot includes a first end portion that extends to a second end portion, and a receptacle portion located between the first end portion and the second end portion. Portions of the heater body not disconnected by the plurality of slots form a serpentine current-carrying path through the heater body. The first end portion of each slot has a first width, the second end portion of each slot has a second width, and the receptacle portion of each slot has a third width, and the third width is larger than both the first width and the second width.
Claims30
An electrical heater assembly comprising:
- a heater body comprising a plurality of slots forming a serpentine current-carrying path through the heater body, each slot comprising:
- a first end portion extending from an outer periphery of the heater body, the first end portion including a first width;
- a second end portion terminating within the heater body, the second end portion including a second width;
- and
- a receptacle portion located between the first end portion and the second end portion, the receptacle portion including a third width greater than the first width and the second width.
An electrical heater assembly comprising:
- a heater body including a plurality of slots forming a serpentine current-carrying path through the heater body, each slot extending from an outer periphery of the heater body and terminating within the heater body, each slot including a widened intermediate portion located between narrower end portions.
A method of manufacturing an electrical heater body, the method comprising:
- forming a plurality of slots in the heater body so as to form a serpentine current-carrying path through the heater body, each slot comprising:
- a first end portion including a first width,
- a second end portion including a second width, and
- a receptacle portion located between the first end portion and the second end portion, the receptacle portion including a third width greater than the first width and the second width;
- and
- respectively inserting a plurality of slot separators into the receptacle portion of each slot so as to maintain the serpentine current-carrying form of the heater body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.