Nonfragile and quickly activatable structure of gas sensor element

Abstract

A nonfragile ad quickly activatable structure of a gas sensor element which may be built in a gas sensor employed in an air-fuel ratio control system for automotive vehicles for measuring the concentration of gas such O2, NOx, or CO. The gas sensor element is made of a lamination of a measurement gas electrode, a reference gas electrode, and a heater. The heater works to elevate the temperature of the gas sensor element up to a given value required to bring the gas sensor element into an activated condition. The heater includes a heater substrate, a heating element, and power supply leads. A minimum distance X between an edge of the heater substrate and an edge of the heating element meets a relation of 0.1 mm≦X≦0.6 mm, thereby minimizing a thermal expansion difference between the heater element and the heater substrate to avoid cracks in a portion of the heater substrate near the heater element. It also becomes possible to elevate the temperature of the heating element up to a higher value, thereby allowing the gas sensor element to be activated quickly immediately after the power is supplied to the heating element.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.