Ngk Spark Plug Company, Limited

Norimasa Osawa

Masayuki Motomura

Takeshi Sugiyama

Toshiya Matsuoka

Keisuke Tashima

Hisaharu Nishio

Kunihiko Yonezu

Tomohiro Tajima

Hirokazu Murase

Hitoshi Yokoi

Yuichi Koyama

Kazuto Hirai

A particulate sensor () to be attached to a gas flow pipe EP through which a gas to be measured EG containing particulates S flows. The particulate sensor () includes a gas introduction discharge pipe (); a discharge element () including a discharge electrode member () maintained at a discharge potential DV and which electrifies particulates contained in the gas under measurement, and a sealed portion (C) located on a proximal end side GK of an element distal end portion and in which the discharge electrode member is disposed and insulated from the outer surface (CS) thereof; a surrounding member () maintained at a first potential SGND; and an electrically conductive glass seal () which establishes electrical communication between the surrounding member and the pipe (), and is in close contact with the outer surface of the sealed portion of the discharge element to provide gastight sealing.

Particulate sensor and method for manufacturing particulate sensor

A particle detection system () includes a particle sensor () having a detection section () exposed to a gas under measurement EG. The particle sensor () includes an insulating member (), and a heater section () for heating at least a portion of the gas contact surface () of the insulating member (). The particle detection system () includes adhesive restraining energization means (, S, S) for heating the gas contact surface () to an adhesion restraining temperature Td at which adhesion of the particles S to the gas contact surface () is restrained as compared with the case where the heater section is not energized, wherein adhering particles SA which are particles adhering to the gas contact surface () burn at the particle burning temperature Tb.

Particle detection system

A particulate sensor includes: an inner metallic member which is maintained at a first potential and which has a gas introduction pipe into which a target gas is introduced; a tubular outer metallic member which surrounds the radially outer circumference of the inner metallic member and which is attached to a gas flow pipe to thereby be maintained at a ground potential; and an insulating spacer which is interposed between the inner metallic member and the outer metallic member so as to electrically insulate them from each other and which has a tubular gas contact portion which is exposed to the interior of the gas flow pipe and comes into contact with the gas under measurement. The insulating spacer has a heater for heating the gas contact portion. The heater includes a heat generation resistor embedded in the insulating spacer.

Particulate sensor

A particulate sensor () includes an ion source () and a reference potential member (). The particulate sensor () detects particulates S contained in a gas under measurement EG by means of ions CP. The ion source () includes a ceramic structure () having a ceramic laminate () and a discharge electrode member (). The discharge electrode member () has an inter-layer portion (A,) embedded between the layers of the ceramic laminate () and an exposed portion (B) extending from the inter-layer portion (A,) to a position outside the ceramic laminate (). The discharge electrode member () generates the gaseous discharge between the reference potential member () and the exposed portion (B) including one or more needle-shaped distal end portions () upon application of a constant DC discharge potential PV

A particulate sensor including a sensor unit () having an ion generation section (); an electric charge section () for electrically charging at least portion of particulates S using ions PI; a capture section () for trapping at least portion of the ions PI not used for electrically charging the particulates S; and a sensor ground section () connected to the capture section and having a first floating potential corresponding to the amount of the ions PI trapped by the capture section. The sensor unit can detect the amount of the particulates S in the gas on the basis of the electric potential of the sensor ground section. The sensor ground section is covered with insulating ceramic at that outer portion of the sensor unit which comes into contact with the gas.

Microparticle sensor

A gas sensor () includes at least a sensor element () which measures the concentration of a specific gas component, a housing () which accommodates the sensor element (), and a base portion () which is attached to the housing and is formed of resin. The base portion includes a first base portion () which is a portion of the base portion located on the side toward the housing and which is molded integrally with the housing, and a second base portion () which is molded separately from the first base portion, which is a portion of the base portion located opposite the housing, and which has a connector portion () in which a plurality of terminals () electrically connected to the sensor element are disposed such that they extend in a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the sensor element.

Gas sensor

A gas sensor () in which individual ones of connection terminals () have, at a rear end portion, a first connection portion () connected to a corresponding connector terminal (). Individual ones of the connector terminals have, at an end portion on a side toward separator (), a second connection portion () connected to the first connection portion. One of the first and second connection portions assumes the form of an insertion piece (), and the other assumes the form of a female portion () into which the insertion piece is inserted. At least one of the insertion piece and the female portion has an elastic portion (). The insertion piece is fitted into the female portion, and the elastic portion thereby elastically bends, whereby the first and second connection portions are elastically connected.

A thin plate member which has a groove portion recessed toward the inside in a radial direction with a gap interposed between the thin plate member and the outer surface of a site on the front end side of a main body section. At least one end of the thin plate member is joined to the outer surface of the main body section and is provided radially outside the site on the front end side of the main body section. A seal member is disposed in the groove portion and has elasticity due to resin. Since the gap functions as a heat-insulating layer and is interposed between the seal member and the main body section, heat conduction from the main body section, that is, heat conduction through a first pathway is reduced, and thus deterioration of the seal member due to heat is suppressed.

Of a gas detectora chamberformed between a center coverand a coveris a part of an air flow channel AF. A first shielding plateis provided in the chamberWater droplets that have entered the chamber from a chamber entrancewith air hit and adhere to an entrance-opposed surfaceE of the first shielding plateThe water thus adhering to the surface is pushed by the air flowing along the entrance-opposed surfaceE and by gravity, to thereby advance downward. The water then drips downward and is accumulated on a bottom wall surfaceWD which serves as an upper surface of a bottom wall sectionWD. The water is pushed by the flow of air, to thereby advance toward a chamber exitThe water is then drained downward from the chamber exit

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Inuyama, Japan

Norimasa Osawa