Carbon particulates cleaning device

An exhaust gas cleaning device for collecting carbon particulates in exhaust gases discharged from an engine and burning off the collected carbon particulates, comprising:

• a casing having an inlet port and a discharge port for introducing and discharging said exhaust gases;
• a filter member for collecting carbon particulates in said exhaust gases which is disposed within said casing between said inlet port and said discharge port;
• said filter member being made of heat resistant material and being provided with a large number of open passages through which said exhaust gases flow;
• an electric heater means for heating and igniting the carbon particulates collected by said filter member;
• said electric heater means being composed of at least two kinds of heating resistors which are constructed so as to provide different electric power densities to be applied to said filter member, said at least two kinds of heating resistors being adhered to the upstream end surface of said filter member so as to be distributed thereon uniformly;
• an electric current supplying means connected to said heater means for supplying electric current from an electric power source to said at least two kinds of heating resistors in succession in the order of from one providing the maximum electric power density to one providing the minimum electric power density at predetermined time intervals;
• and
• means connected to said electric current supplying means for detecting when the amount of the carbon particulates collected by said filter member reaches a predetermined level and for initiating operation of said electric current supplying means.