Heat sensitive flow amount sensor and inlet system of internal combustion engine

Abstract

A heat sensitive flow amount sensor of the invention includes a measuring pipe disposed in the inlet pipe of an internal combustion engine, an air flow amount detecting element disposed in the measuring pipe for detecting the flow amount of intake air flowing in the inlet pipe making use of the fact that a quantity of heat loss corresponds to the flow amount of the intake air, and a straightening member disposed on the outer periphery of the measuring pipe along the axial line thereof for straightening the intake air flowing into the measuring pipe by straightening the intake air flowing in the inlet pipe. With this arrangement, even if the heat sensitive flow amount sensor is disposed in the vicinity of a throttle valve, the measuring accuracy of the flow amount of air is not lowered and the size of an internal combustion engine can be reduced by the employment of the heat sensitive flow amount sensor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.