A heater includes: a ceramic body having a rod-like shape; and a heat generating resistor embedded in the ceramic body, the heat generating resistor including a first straight line section, a second straight line section which is disposed alongside the first straight line section, and a folded section which connects the first straight line section and the second straight line section, in a transverse cross section of the heater, the first straight line section having a shape having a first major axis, the second straight line section having a shape having a second major axis, the second major axis being inclined with respect to the first major axis, a centroid of the first straight line section and the second straight line section being deviated from a centroid of the ceramic body to a side on which a distance between the first major axis and the second major axis is narrower.

Described is a glow plug having a casing and a ceramic glow pin protruding out of the casing. The glow pin has a tapered end section inside the casing. A metal protective tube protrudes out of the casing and surrounds the glow pin. The protective tube has a widened end section inside the casing. A center electrode is arranged in the casing and electrically connected to the glow pin. The glow plug includes an annular or sleeve-shaped contact element through which the glow pin projects and to which the tapered end section of the glow pin is soldered. The contact element is at least partly surrounded by the widened end section of the protective tube.

A fire starting bulb apparatus includes a heating element, at least one contact point a bulb. The at least one contact point is operably connected to the heating element. The at least one contact point configured to connect to an energy source for providing energy to the heating element. The bulb having an outer surface and an inner surface. The bulb is configured to receive the heating element so that the heating element provides heat to the inner surface and the outer surface of the bulb when the heating element receives energy from the energy source.

A ceramic heater includes a substrate containing a ceramic, and a resistor containing another ceramic and embedded in the substrate. The resistor includes two lead portions, a joint portion that connects the two lead portions, an electrode portion formed integrally with at least one lead portion, having one end portion connected to the one lead portion, extending in a direction crossing an axis of the one lead portion, and having the other end portion exposed at the surface of the substrate. In a cross section of the electrode portion taken along an imaginary plane passing through the axis of the one lead portion and parallel to an extending direction of the electrode portion, 0.1A/B0.8 is satisfied, where A is the length of the other end portion parallel to the axis, and B is the length of the one end portion parallel to the axis.

A heater includes a ceramic body of bar shape; and a heat-generating resistor disposed in an inside of the ceramic body, when viewed in a transverse section, the heat-generating resistor including at least one step portion provided in an outer periphery part of the heat-generating resistor, the at least one step portion having such a shape that semicircular portions bisected in a diametrical direction of the heat-generating resistor deviate from each other along the diametrical direction.

Disclosed is a ceramic electric heating element. The ceramic electric heating element is completely wrapped by an insulating layer. The ceramic electric heating element can prevent the occurrence of a short circuit when the ceramic electric heating element is in use or is installed. The strength of the ceramic electric heating element is increased, and the shock resistance is enhanced. The service life of the ceramic electric heating element is prolonged, and the power-on duration of the ceramic electric heating element is prolonged. Moreover, the process is simplified, the structure is simple, and the cost is low.

A heater includes a ceramic base and a heat generating resistor. The ceramic base includes a plurality of crystal particles made of silicon nitride and a first grain boundary phase located between the plurality of crystal particles and containing oxides of a rare earth element and silicon. The heat generating resistor is located inside the ceramic base. The ceramic base includes a first region including an interface with the heat generating resistor and a second region farther away from the heat generating resistor than the first region. The distribution amount of the first grain boundary phase is greater in the first region than in the second region.

A heater of this invention includes an insulating base made of a ceramic, a resistor buried in the insulating base, and leads connected to end portions of the resistor, in which both the resistor and the leads contain electrical conductors and insulating ceramic particles dispersed in the electrical conductors and the insulating ceramic particles contained in the resistor are smaller than the insulating ceramic particles contained in the leads.

Various embodiments disclose a glow plug for a solid oxide fuel cell system. The glow plug includes a housing having a first end portion and a second end portion. The glow plug includes a heating element longitudinally disposed in the housing, extending from the second end portion of the housing towards the first end portion and extending outwardly from the housing for igniting fuel. Further, the glow plug includes a pair of coiled wires electrically connected to the heating element. Further, the glow plug includes a potting compound disposed within the second end portion of the housing for securing electrical coupling of the pair of coiled wires with the heating element. Furthermore, the glow plug includes a sealing element configured to form an air-tight connection between the housing and the heating element. The sealing element is positioned on top of the potting compound.

Hot surface igniter assemblies used in cooktops are shown and described. The hot surface igniters include a silicon nitride ceramic body with an embedded, resistive, heat-generating circuit. The igniters are less than 0.04 inches thick, and when energized, they reach surface temperatures in excess of 2000 F. in under 4 seconds to ignite cooking gas such as propane, butane, or natural gas. Examples of cook top burner systems are also provided which allow the igniter to remain on after ignition at a power level that is lower than during ignition but high enough to ignite the cooking gas should a flame out occur. Examples are also provided of burners that ignite on a low flow setting (e.g., simmer) as opposed the high flow settings that are common in cook top industry.