Sensor and method for manufacturing same

A method for manufacturing a sensor,

• the sensor including
• a sensor element extending in an axial direction,
• a plurality of metal terminals configured to be electrically connected to the sensor element, and
• a separator having a tubular shape, the separator being configured to surround a rear side of the sensor element and configured to hold the metal terminals,
• the separator including a front side separator and a rear side separator respectively disposed on a front side and a rear side in the axial direction,
• the metal terminals each including a front side metal terminal and a rear side metal terminal respectively held by the front side separator and the rear side separator,
• a first connection portion being provided on a rear side of the front side metal terminal, the first connection portion being a male terminal or a female terminal,
• a second connection portion being provided on a front side of the rear side metal terminal, the second connection portion being a male terminal or a female terminal and serving as a counterpart terminal to be fitted to the first connection portion,
• the method comprising:
• a terminal insertion step of inserting the front side metal terminal into the front side separator and inserting the rear side metal terminal into the rear side separator;
• and
• a terminal fitting step of, after the terminal insertion step, assembling the rear side separator to a rear side of the front side separator, and, during the assembling, inserting one of the first connection portion and the second connection portion into the other of the first connection portion and the second connection portion, thereby assembling the front side metal terminal and the rear side metal terminal to each other, wherein
• after the terminal fitting step, when the front side separator and the rear side separator are viewed with axes thereof aligned with each other, a central axis in the axial direction of one of the first connection portion and the second connection portion, in all of the plurality of metal terminals, is displaced toward a radially outer side of the sensor element relative to a central axis in the axial direction of a counterpart thereof, and the first connection portion and the second connection portion are in contact with each other at only along a contact line extending in the axial direction of the first connection portion.