Electrically heated catalytic converter for an engine

An electrically heated catalytic converter for an engine comprising:

• a substrate supporting a catalyst, the substrate being formed as a substantially cylindrical laminated assembly of thin metal sheets wound around a central axis;
• a substantially cylindrical metal casing disposed in an exhaust gas passage of an engine, wherein cylindrical metal casing and wherein the substantially said substrate is supported within the substantially cylindrical casing is formed of a material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion;
• a center electrode, a first end of is connected to said substrate, wherein a first portion of the center electrode extends from the first end of the center electrode along the central axis of the substrate, a second portion of the center electrode extending from the first portion of the center electrode towards the substantially cylindrical casing to a second end of the center electrode, the second end of the center electrode being fixed to said substantially cylindrical casing, wherein the center electrode is formed of a material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion and the substrate is formed of a material having a third coefficient of thermal expansion so that, when a temperature within the casing varies relative to a temperature of the casing, the center electrode and the substrate expand relative to the casing and the expansion of the center electrode causes a predetermined amount of displacement of the substrate relative to the casing;
• a first plate member made of a material having the second coefficient of thermal expansion the first plate member being coupled between said casing and said substrate, wherein a first end of the first plate member is fixed to a portion of the substantially cylindrical casing adjacent to a point at which said center electrode is fixed to the casing, and wherein a second end of said first plate member is fixed to an outer surface of the substrate which is furthest from the central axis thereof, the second end of the first plate member being fixed to the outer surface of the substrate at a first point separated from said point at which said center electrode is fixed to the casing by a first distance;
• and
• a second plate member formed of a material having the second coefficient of thermal expansion, wherein the second plate member is coupled between the casing and the substrate with a first end of the second plate member being fixed to the casing adjacent to the point at which the center electrode is coupled to the casing and wherein a second end of the second plate member is fixed to the outer surface of the substrate at a second point separated from said point at which said center electrode is fixed to the casing by a second distance, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance.