Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
51 words
A resistance adjusting type heater, comprising: a honeycomb structure having a large number of passages; at least two electrodes for energizing said honeycomb structure, provided on said honeycomb structure; and a resistance adjusting means provided between said electrodes to heat a gas flow through said passages formed in said honeycomb structure.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
31 words
A resistance adjusting type heater according to claim 1, wherein said honeycomb structure is produced by extruding powder material into a shape of honeycomb configuration and then by sintering said shape.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A resistance adjusting type heater according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said resistance adjusting means comprises at least one slit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
A resistance adjusting type heater according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said resistance adjusting means comprises variations in the length of a cell wall in an axial direction of the passages of said honeycomb structure.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A resistance adjusting type heater according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said resistance adjusting means comprises variations in the cell wall thickness of said honeycomb structure.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
A resistance adjusting type heater according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said resistance adjusting means comprises variations in a cell density of said passages.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A resistance adjusting type heater according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said resistance adjusting means comprises a slit formed in a cell wall of said honeycomb structure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
68 words
A resistance adjusting type heater, comprising: a honeycomb structure having a large number of passages; and at least two electrodes provided on the honeycomb structure, the honeycomb structure having a slit which form a predetermined angle to the cell walls of the honeycomb structure so as to enable adjustment of resistance between the electrodes, so that a gas flow through the passages of the honeycomb structure is heated.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
69 words
A catalytic converter comprising: a main monolith catalyst, and a resistance adjusting type heater placed upstream of said main monolith catalyst, said heater including a honeycomb structure having a large number of passages, at least two electrodes for energizing said honeycomb structure, provided on said honeycomb structure, and a resistance adjusting means provided between said electrodes to heat a gas flow through said passages formed in said honeycomb structure.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
A catalytic converter comprising: a honeycomb structure having a large number of passages; a catalyst carried on said honeycomb structure; at least two electrodes for energizing said honeycomb structure, provided on said honeycomb structure; and a resistance adjusting means provided between said electrodes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
51 words
A catalytic converter comprising: a main monolith catalyst, and a heater including a honeycomb structure having a large number of passages, a catalyst carried on said honeycomb structure, at least two electrodes for energizing said honeycomb structure, provided on said honeycomb structure, and a resistance adjusting means provided between said electrodes.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
A catalytic converter according to claim 10 or 11, wherein said honeycomb structure is produced by extruding powder material into a honeycomb configuration and by sintering the honeycomb.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
49 words
A method of making a honeycomb structure resistance heater or catalytic converter having spaced electrode locations (11) provided on a honeycomb structure having a large number of passages, characterised by adjusting the resistance characteristic of the structure by forming it with incorporated structural non-uniformities (12,14,15) in a predetermined pattern.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
67 words
A method according to claim 13 in which the structural non-uniformities comprise: (i) a slit or slits (12) cut into the honeycomb structure and extending plural cell dimensions; (ii) a slit or slits (15) interrupting substantially isolated cell walls in the structure; (iii) variations in the cell wall thickness of the honeycomb structure, or (iv) variations (14) in the cell wall axial length over the honeycomb structure.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 13 or claim 14 in which the honeycomb structure is formed by extrusion of a powder composition, preferably of metal powder.