Ngk Spark Plug Company, Limited

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Matsushita Seiko Co., Ltd.

Hideaki Yagi

Katsuhiko Horii

Junichi Akiyama

Takehiko Saiki

Takahito Kojima

Keiichi Ichikawa

Keijiro Mori

Kaname Miwa

Tetsuo Hishiki

Ichiro Shimano

Tooru Onouchi

A flat limiting-current sensorincludes a solid electrolyte substrate, a negative electrodeand a positive electrode. The negative and positive electrodesand, respectively, are disposed on the same side of the solid electrolyte substrate. A voltage of 0.8 V is applied between the negative electrodeand the positive electrodein order to determine oxygen concentration. The ratio between the area of the negative electrodeand the area of the positive electrodeis set to 1:2, thereby reducing element resistance to 74% that of the case where the negative electrode and the positive electrode assume the same area. Thus, the measurement accuracy of the flat limiting-current sensoris improved.

Sensor element and gas sensor

An oxygen concentrating apparatus including an output variable type compressor. Oxygen-concentrated gas may be supplied either continuously or synchronized with inhalation or timing of inhalations. In one aspect, when synchronous operation is selected, the compressor is operated at a lower output in comparison with continuous supply operation. In a second aspect, when synchronous operation is selected, the supply quantity of oxygen-concentration gas is set to zero during the exhalation period.

Oxygen concentrating apparatus

A small oxygen enriching apparatus which can supply oxygen-enriched gas at high flow rate without imparting unnatural sensation to a user, as well as a controller and recording medium therefore. In stepa judgment is made as to whether a flow rate set by use of a flow-rate setting unitis equal to or less than a continuous base flow rate (3 liters/min). When the set flow rate is a low flow rate of not greater than 3 liters/min, breath-synchronized operation is not performed (continuous supply is to be performed), and therefore, in stepoxygen-enriched gas is supplied continuously at the set flow rate. When the set flow rate is a high flow rate of greater than 3 liters/min, breath-synchronized operation is to be performed, and therefore, in stepthe orifice is set to an opening that enables supply at 5 liters/min. In stepin order to perform breath-synchronized operation, control for opening and closing an electromagnetic valveis performed. Through this operation, the oxygen-enriched gas is supplied at a high flow rate (5 liters/min) in the inhalation period of each breathing cycle and at a low flow rate (2 liters/min) in the exhalation period via a bypass flow passage

Oxygen enriching apparatus, controller, and recording medium

An oxygen enriching apparatus which can supply oxygen or oxygen-enriched gas to a user at proper timings, as well as a controller and recording medium therefore. In step, a signal from a pressure sensoris input. In subsequent step, on the basis of the signal output from the pressure sensor, a judgment is made as to whether the state of inhalation can be detected. When the result of judgment is 'Yes,' this means that an anomalous state exists. In this case, the processing proceeds to stepWhen the result of judgment is 'No,' this means that the patient and the apparatus are normal. In this case, the present processing is suspended. When start of inhalation cannot be detected over, for example, a period of 10 seconds or more, an anomalous state is judged to have arisen. In step, because of the anomalous state having arisen, the electromagnetic valveis driven to open the supply passageso as to supply oxygen-enriched gas over a period of about 4 seconds. Subsequently, the present processing is suspended.

Oxygen supply apparatus, controller for the oxygen supply apparatus, and recording medium for the controller

A small oxygen enriching apparatus which can supply oxygen-enriched gas at high flow rate without imparting unnatural sensation to a user, as well as a controller and recording medium therefore. In step, a judgment is made as to whether a flow rate set by use of a flow-rate setting unitis equal to or less than a continuous base flow rate (2 liters/min). When the set flow rate is a low flow rate of not greater than 2 liters/min, breath-synchronized operation is not performed (continuous supply is to be performed), and therefore, in step, oxygen-enriched gas is supplied continuously at the set flow rate. When the set flow rate is a high flow rate of greater than 2 liters/min, breath-synchronized operation is to be performed (supply during the inhalation period only of each breathing cycle), and therefore, in step, oxygen-enriched gas is continuously supplied at the continuous base flow rate. In step, in order to perform breath-synchronized operation, control for opening and closing an electromagnetic valveis performed. That is, oxygen-enriched gas is supplied during the inhalation period only of each breathing cycle, and supply of oxygen-enriched gas is stopped during the exhalation period.

Oxygen enriching apparatus, controller for the oxygen enriching apparatus, and recording medium for the controller

A gas sensor includes a sensor element formed of a solid electrolyte having an oxygen ion conductivity; a cathode and an anode, each formed of a porous metal material and each formed on the sensor element, to produce a pumping current reflecting a concentration of a detection component in a measurement gas when a predetermined voltage is applied between the cathode and the anode. The detection component contains oxygen. The measurement gas contacts the cathode. The gas sensor also includes a gas diffusion control to vary the oxygen pumping current in accordance with a pressure of the measurement gas by controlling a diffusion of the measurement gas. The measurement gas moves from a measurement atmosphere toward the cathode by way of the gas diffusion control. Thereby, information on the pressure of the measurement gas is obtained based on the oxygen pumping current.

Gas sensor and gas sensor unit

A gas sensor device including a housing provided with an inlet for introducing a gas to be measured, a sensor element capable of detecting oxygen gas or the like contained in the gas and a base element supporting the sensor element within the interior of the housing. The base element is integrally assembled to the housing by means of a seal.

Gas sensor device

A sensor cleaning method and a detection apparatus enabling easy and correct measurement for an uninterrupted prolonged time duration of the gas concentration. The method is based on the value of a limiting current generated on applying a dc voltage across a pair of positive and negative electrodes of a sensor in which the electrodes are formed of a porous material and arranged in intimate contact with the surface of a solid electrolyte substrate exhibiting oxygen ion conductivity and in which pores of the negative electrode are used simultaneously as gas diffusion limiting holes for limiting the amount of diffusion of the gas for measurement. If the limiting current characteristics of sensor versus applied voltage are deteriorated, a voltage opposite to that used during measurement is applied for restoring the characteristics to a normal value.

Method for cleaning a limiting current type gas sensor

In a method of measuring humidity by using an electrochemical cell, the method comprises applying a voltage across the pair of electrodes to obtain a characteristic curve between the voltage applied and electrical current. The characteristic curve starts with a first flat portion in which a first diffusion limit current remains generally constant within a predetermined voltage range and passes through a point of inflection in which a second differential derivative of the characteristic curve falls on zero at certain voltage, and ends up with a second flat portion in which a second diffusion limit current remains generally constant within a predetermined voltage range. The point of the inflection is uniquely determined regardless of a humidity level of the gas at a constant temperature and oxygen concentration. The humidity level in the gas is obtained by reading the point of the inflection, and the intensity of the first and second diffusion limit current and then comparing the diffusion limit current with the inflection as a reference current.

Method of measuring humidity using an electrochemical cell

In a method of measuring humidity of an oxygen-containing gas by using an electrochemical cell, firstly an voltage is applied across the pair of the electrodes to obtain a characteristic curve between an intensity of the voltage and that of electrical current, the characteristic curve continuously originating from a first flat portion in which a first diffusion limit current generally remains constant within a predetermined voltage range, and ending up in a second flat portion in which a second diffusion limit current generally remains constant within a predetermined voltage range. Secondly each value of the first diffusion limit current and the second diffusion limit current is read out, and an arithmetic ratio of the first diffusion limit current to the second diffusion limit current is calculated to obtain the humidity of the gas.

Method of measuring humidity by using an electrochemical cell

A humidity detector using a ceramic sensor and a heater to periodically clean the sensor. The output of the sensor is sampled and held while the heater is on. When the detector is turned on, the heater is not started until the sensor has been sampled and held. The timer controlling this operation can be externally reset. When the ceramic sensor is temperature corrected, the humidity output indicates a dew point at a fixed temperature. By adjusting this fixed temperature dew point output according to a sensed temperature, the dew point can be detected.

Humidity and dew point detector

Humidity sensor

Electroluminescent elements comprising a ferroelectric sintered ceramic body as a substrate, a luminescent layer applied on the body, a transparent electrode layer applied on the luminescent layer and an electrode layer applied on other side of the body and having improved withstand voltage properties. The electroluminescent elements are suitable for the indication of location of switch members or the like at the switching-off condition.

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Aichi, Japan

Hideaki Yagi