Gas sensor and method for manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-RE49874-E
Application number	US-202117350702-A
Country	US
Kind code	E1
Filing date	Jun 17, 2021
Priority date	Jul 7, 2016
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A gas sensor includes a sensing element having an electrode pad a metal terminal, and a separator that has insertion holes in which the metal terminal is held. The metal terminal includes a main body and an elastic portion that is integrally connected to the main body and is elastically connected to the electrode pad at a predetermined contact point. The main body includes a front-end-side restricting portion and a rear-end-side restricting portion that restrict the movement of the main body by contacting wall surfaces of the insertion hole when the main body moves in a direction intersecting the direction of an axial line. The contact point is located between the front-end-side restricting portion and the rear-end-side restricting portion in the direction of the axial line. The front-end-side restricting portion and the rear-end-side restricting portion are connected to each other so that a flat board portion is interposed therebetween.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas sensor, comprising:
a sensing element that is formed in a plate shape extending in a direction of an axial line and that includes an electrode pad on an outer surface of a rear-end side of the sensing element;
a metal terminal that extends in the direction of the axial line and that is electrically connected to the electrode pad; and
a tubular separator that has an insertion hole into which the metal terminal is inserted and that surrounds a part of the sensing element on the rear-end side, wherein
the metal terminal includes a main body and an elastic portion that is integrally connected to the main body, said elastic portion being folded toward the sensing element and elastically connected to the electrode pad at a predetermined contact point,
the main body includes a front-end-side restricting portion and a rear-end-side restricting portion, both of which further extend from the main body and restrict a movement of the main body by contacting an inner wall surface of the insertion hole when the main body moves in a direction intersecting the direction of the axial line,
the metal terminal abuts on a center of the sensing element in its width direction, and
the inner wall surface of the insertion hole is formed such that it faces the sensing element.

2. The gas sensor according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between a front end of the front-end-side restricting portion and a rear end of the rear-end-side restricting portion in the direction of the axial line exceeds a half of a length of the metal terminal in the direction of the axial line inside the insertion hole.

3. The gas sensor according to claim 1 further comprising a burr on the main body that protrudes toward an elastic portion side from surfaces opposite to surfaces that face the wall surface of the separator forming the insertion hole.

4. The gas sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the front-end-side restricting portion and the rear-end-side restricting portion are flush with each other in a view from the direction of the axial line.

5. The gas sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the main body includes a flat board portion, and
the insertion hole extends entirely in the direction of the axial line and has a longitudinal length that is longer than a longitudinal length of the flat board portion.

6. A gas sensor, comprising:
a sensing element that is formed in a plate shape extending in a direction of an axial line and that includes an electrode pad on an outer surface of a rear-end side of the sensing element;
a metal terminal that extends in the direction of the axial line and that is electrically connected to the electrode pad; and
a tubular separator that has an insertion hole into which the metal terminal is inserted and that surrounds a part of the sensing element on the rear-end side, wherein
the metal terminal includes a main body and an elastic portion that is integrally connected to the main body, said elastic portion being folded toward the sensing element and elastically connected to the electrode pad at a predetermined contact point,
the main body includes a front-end-side restricting portion and a rear-end-side restricting portion, both of which further extend from the main body and restrict a movement of the main body by contacting an inner wall surface of the insertion hole when the main body moves in a direction intersecting the direction of the axial line and connecting the main body and the elastic portion,
the metal terminal abuts on an end portion of the sensing element in its width direction, and
the inner wall surface of the insertion hole is formed such that it faces in the same direction as the outer surface of the rear-end side of the sensing element faces.

7. A gas sensor, comprising:
a sensing element that is formed in a plate shape extending in a direction of an axial line and that includes an electrode pad on an outer surface of a rear-end side of the sensing element;
a metal terminal that extends in the direction of the axial line and that is electrically connected to the electrode pad; and
a tubular separator that has an insertion hole into which the metal terminal is inserted and that surrounds a part of the sensing element on the rear-end side, wherein
the metal terminal includes a main body and an elastic portion that is integrally connected to the main body, said elastic portion being folded toward the sensing element and elastically connected to the electrode pad at a predetermined contact point,
the main body includes a front-end-side restricting portion and a rear-end-side restricting portion, both of which further extend from the main body and restrict a movement of the main body by contacting an inner wall surface of the insertion hole when the main body moves in a direction intersecting the direction of the axial line, and
the separator has a rear-end facing surface with which a part of the main body is configured to contact when the metal terminal is inserted into the insertion hole so that an axial movement of the main body is restricted.

8. The gas sensor according to claim 7 , wherein the front-end-side restricting portion is the part of the main body that contacts the rear-end facing surface.

9. The gas sensor according to claim 7 , wherein
the main body further contains a position-restricting portion formed at a forward end side with respect to the front-end-side restricting portion, and
the position-restricting portion is the part that contacts the rear-end facing surface.

Assignees

• Ngk Spark Plug Co
• Niterra Co Ltd

Inventors

• Oba Takehiro
• Nagata Shogo
• Mihara Shunya

Classifications

• H01R4/4821

  Single-blade spring · CPC title

• G01N33/0037 Primary

  NOx · CPC title

• H01R43/20

  for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve · CPC title

• G01N27/4062 Primary

  Electrical connectors associated therewith · CPC title

• G01N27/4067

  Means for heating or controlling the temperature of the solid electrolyte · CPC title