US2660656A - Distributor heater - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 24, 1953 5 w1 2,660,656

DISTRIBUTOR HEATER Filed May 16, 1951 Imentor STANLEY A. W/LK/E Patented Nov. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE DISTRIBUTOR HEATER Stanley Alvin Wilkie, Muskegon, Mich.

Application May 16, 1951, Serial No. 226,559

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a distributor heater which may be employed to increase the eliiciency of commutation in an electrical high tension distributor of n internal combustion engine.

I have o* i ved that during atmospheric conditions of high humidity and particularly when the temperature between 25 and 40 Fahrenheit the enciency oi spark commutation in the distributor is much less than that experienced in dry, warm weather. When the distributor contacts become worn or carbonized, or otherwise fouled, the efficiency loss is more aggravated, It is well known that on cold, damp days there is much more difficulty experienced in starting the engine of an automobile. This is due to the two factors of high humidity and condensation by reason of low temperatures.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a distributor heater which will QLllCklfy act to remove water condensate from the high tension distributor points or contacts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a distributor heater of this type and including thermoresponsive switch means whereby the heater is cut off as soon as the interior of the distributor attains a temperature corresponding to that normally attained by the distributor components by reason of adjacent location to the engine parts during normal running of the latter.

With these and other objects in View the invention generally comprises the combination with distributor housing having a removable cover and electrical high tension switch means in the housing, of metal support member mountable within the cover and projecting therewithin to define a heating chamber and a switching chamber, both or" which are exposed to the interior of the housing but which are arranged so that the switching chan her is disposed out of the path of radiation from the heater in the heating chamber. An electrical resistance heater or equivalent is mounted in the heating chamber and is connected electrically in series with a thermoresponsive member mounted in the switching chamber, the latter member carrying a switching contact at a movable free end thereof to effect opening of the electrical circuit of the electrical heater. A stationary switch contact is adapted to be engaged by the contact of the thermoresponsive member and electrical connections extend exteriorly of the support member and the casing from the stationary contact and the electrical heater to the battery circuit of an automobile, say, by way of the ignition circuit.

Other objects of the invention will be appreciated by a study of the following specification taken. in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a distributor heater according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a View of an electrical high tension distributor housing with a portion of the cover cut away to reveal the mounting of a distributor heater or the invention therein.

Referring in more detail to the drawings, the distributor heater of the invention illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a suitable support member it! preferably of metal of any suitable shape adapted to be set into the cover I I of a distributor housing l2 as illustrated in Figure 2. In the form of the invention illustrated, the support member has a base part l3 having a projection I4 extending therefrom forming a series of walls l5 and 56 which define the open heater chamber l! and the open switching chamber 18. If an electrical resistance heater is employed, such as the coiled form [9 illustrated, it may have one end 29 set into a slot of the wall it whereby electrical connection is made to the support member itself.

The inward end 2! of the heater is fastened to an insulated post 22 which connects electrically by means of a suitable wire (not shown) to the post 2-3 extending into the switching chamber l8 and mounting the inward end of a thermoresponsive member in the form of a conventional bimetallic strip.

An open housing 2c of a thermal and electrical insulating material is in the form of an insert and forms the side walls of the switching cham ber l8 whereby the thermoresponsive member can act substantially under the influence of the temperature of the air surrounding it rather than by conduction of heat through metal parts of the support member to the walls of the char ber IS.

The free end 25 of the thermoresponsive mem ber carries a contact 25 thereon adapted to engage with the stationary contact post 27, the latter being connected electrically to an electrical lead 26 (Figure 2) projecting exteriorly of the support member and cover H but being insulated from the support member. The lead 29 merely serves as a ground connection for the support member.

In use, the lead 28 is connected in the ignition circuit of the automobile in such manner that when the ignition is turned on the heater is is electrically energized to cause the temperature of the atmosphere within the housing I2 to be raised to a degree at which the water droplets condensed upon the electrical contacts in the distributor are caused to evaporate. The lot-metallic thermoresponsive member is adjusted to be closed at temperatures less than 80 Fahrenheit and, accordingly, if the atmosphere within the distribu tor is below this temperature at any time the heater is will become effective to heat the interior of the distributor so long the ie'nition switch is on. However, it will be appreciated that so soon as the engine becomes sufficiently warm and by its radiation and conduction of heat effects to the distributor causes the latter to in any attain a temperaturewithin its interior of a value greater t i the opening temperature of the tha inorespone to switch member, then the heating element is will no longer be active.

It will tl'iereiore be seen in oircumstances the element It will not become active at all but will become so when the ternperature of the distributor compo: than, say, so i prefer to choose a value of about 80 F. for the activating temperature be cause there are cond. ions of h humidity on relatively warm when disunbutor cornmutation is aiiected. On the othe hand, it is not practical to set this temperature at too high value, for it should he sufiicic 1 low that heating element out out of bh electrical cult after the automobile engine has been rum nine a short time for it is not to waste battery energ It should be particularly observed heating chamber and the electrical switch oer disposed. in such oner that the swi 0 other is isolated from direct radiation extenw ing: from heating element is. litereoventtha tliermoi-responsive member is th sally isolated by insulation from heat conduction by way oi walls it and 55 from heati {3' element iii. llnsulation against hes" conduction by equivalent means becoi sired action when the metal of the support or is of relatively b h heat conductiv 7 cut-out temperature of; the thermoresponsive is low value.

Although I have shown one specific form of my invention, it will be appreciated that there will be many obvious modifications apparent to skilled persons, having regard. to the general combina- I tion. and arrangement of components which I have set forth. It therefore intended that the Ill) present disclosure should not be construed in any limiting sense other than that indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A heater for an electrical high tension distributor of the class employed for internal com bustion engines, comprising in combination: a body adapted to be mounted within a distributor; open cl'iambers in said body defined by a pair of separate open cavities disposed therein in by side relationship; electrical heating mean n one of said chambers; a thermo-responsive s chins member disposed in the other of said chambers and having electrical switching contacts; thermal insulating means substantially isolating said thermo-responsive member from said body; means electrically connecting said electrical heat ing means to said body; and separate means elem trically connecting said heatir means and said thermo-responsive member else rically in series.

2. The combination, with terminal cover of an electrical high tension distributor for an internal combustion engine, of: a metallic body disposed inwardly or said cover and projecting into the interior thereof; open ch; hers in said body defined by a pair of separate open cavities disposed therein in side by side relationship; electrical heating means in one of said chambers; a thermo responsive switching member disposed in the other of said chambers and having electrical switching contacts; thermal insulating means substantially isolating said thermooespoin sive member from said body; means electrical y connecting said electrical heating means to said body; and separate means electrically connecting said heating means and said thermo responsive member electrically in series.

STANLEY ALVIN WILFIE.

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