Gas sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10520463-B2
Application number	US-201715481986-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2017
Priority date	Apr 20, 2016
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

An insulating separator of a gas sensor is formed to be dividable into a forward separator having a terminal disposition hole, and a rear separator having four terminal disposition holes. The insulating separator has a ventilation path formed between the forward separator and the rear separator. As a result, moisture and the like which enter the insulating separator from a forward side of the forward separator through the terminal disposition hole can be discharged outward of the insulating separator through the ventilation path. As a result, corrosion of metal terminals caused by entry of moisture can be reduced, whereby transmission of a sensor signal and application of current or voltage through the metal terminals can be appropriately implemented.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas sensor comprising:
a sensor element having a plurality of electrode terminal portions through which a detection signal indicative of a result of detection of a target gas is output from the sensor element to external equipment or through which current or voltage is input from the external equipment to the sensor element;
a plurality of metal terminals electrically connected to the respective electrode terminal portions of the sensor element;
a plurality of signal wires electrically connected to the respective metal terminals and forming signal paths for connecting the electrode terminal portions and the external equipment, and
a terminal insulation member that electrically insulates the metal terminals in contact with the respective electrode terminal portions from one another,
wherein each of the metal terminals includes an element contact portion in contact with the corresponding electrode terminal portion and a signal-wire connection portion connected to the corresponding signal wire;
the terminal insulation member is formed to be dividable into a forward insulation member having a terminal disposition hole for disposing therein at least a portion of the sensor element and at least the element contact portions of the metal terminals, and a rear insulation member having a terminal disposition hole for disposing therein at least the signal-wire connection portions of the metal terminals;
in a state in which the forward insulation member and the rear insulation member are assembled together and in which the metal terminals are disposed in the terminal disposition holes, the terminal insulation member has a side ventilation path formed between the forward insulation member and the rear insulation member and extending from a side surface of the forward insulation member or from a side surface of the rear insulation member to the metal terminals; and
the terminal insulation member has an inter-terminal ventilation path in the form of a space extending to at least two of the metal terminals.

2. The gas sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the rear insulation member has a plurality of the terminal disposition holes, and
at least one of the terminal disposition holes is formed so as to dispose therein one of the metal terminals and has a sectional shape identical to a sectional shape of the signal-wire connection portion of the metal terminal, the sectional shapes being taken perpendicularly to a direction of insertion of the metal terminal.

3. The gas sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the rear insulation member has at least one terminal disposition hole formed so as to dispose therein a plurality of the metal terminals.

4. The gas sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the inter-terminal ventilation path is formed in the form of a space extending to all the metal terminals.

5. The gas sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the metal terminals comprises a forward terminal member having the element contact portion, and a rear terminal member having the signal-wire connection portion;
the forward terminal member has a female connection portion;
the rear terminal member has a male connection portion connected to the female connection portion; and
the forward terminal member and the rear terminal member electrically connect the corresponding electrode terminal portion and the corresponding signal wire as a result of the male connection portion and the female connection portion being connected together.

6. The gas sensor according to claim 5 , wherein the metal terminal has a weld zone for joining the forward terminal member and the rear terminal member together.

7. The gas sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the rear insulation member has a ventilation through hole extending therethrough between forward end side and rear end side of the rear insulation member.

Assignees

• Ngk Spark Plug Co

Inventors

• Oba Takehiro
• Nagata Shogo
• Mihara Shunya

Classifications

• G01N27/4073 Primary

  Composition or fabrication of the solid electrolyte · CPC title

• G01N27/4075

  Composition or fabrication of the electrodes and coatings thereon, e.g. catalysts · CPC title

• G01N27/409

  Oxygen concentration cells · CPC title

• G01N27/304

  Gas permeable electrodes · CPC title

• G01N27/4062 Primary

  Electrical connectors associated therewith · CPC title