Gas sensor
AssigneeNgk Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
InventorsTakehiro Oba, Shogo Nagata, Shunya Mihara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims7
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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.