US 6,982,400 B1
Electrical heater apparatus
Bunratthanna Nguon, Providence, R.I. (US)
Assigned to Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, Tex. (US)
Filed on Nov. 03, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/980,532.
Int. Cl. H05B 3/10 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 219—548 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A heater device for use in a well formed in a housing, the well having an open end and a generally cylindrical side wall portion and a recess portion intermediate to the open end and the cylindrical side wall portion, the heater device comprising a generally cylindrical, tubular casing of thermally conductive, relatively flexible material having a side wall defining a chamber and having a first open end and a second closed end,
at least two locking projections extending radially outwardly from the side wall of the casing at the first open end for receipt in the recess portion of the well, the casing having a longitudinal axis and at least two locking projections extending beyond the open end of the side wall in the longitudinal direction, each locking projection having a lower surface facing toward the closed end of the casing, the lower surface being inclined upwardly and outwardly from the casing sidewall,
a heating assembly received in the chamber including:
an electrical resistance heater element having spaced apart first and second electrically conductive terminals,
first and second heat conductive members sandwiching the heater element, the outer peripheral surface of the heat conductive members when sandwiching the heater element having an outer peripheral curved surface complimentary to the inside surface of the casing side wall and closely received in the chamber, wire leads electrically connected to the respective first and second terminals of the heater element and extending out of the open end of the casing, whereby the heater device upon being inserted into the well with the at least two locking projections received in the recess portion of the well is retained in the well by the locking projection.