Denso Corporation

Satoshi Hino

Hirokazu Yamada

Hirofumi Noda

Junji Moriwaki

A gas sensor stabilizes a contact state between a sensor element and each spring terminal is provided. A gas sensor includes a sensor element, a plurality of contact springs and an insulator. The insulator has an element insertion hole into which the sensor element is inserted, and a pair of spring guide grooves for guiding the pair of contact springs respectively. Each of the spring contact portions has a spring contact portion, whereby the spring contact portions are disposed at mutually-opposed positions with the sensor element located therebetween. The pair of spring guide grooves are formed at the mutually-opposed positions. The insulator is formed with a flex guide groove extending in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the spring guide groove is formed. The flex guide groove communicates with the pair of spring guide grooves, and collectively guides the extension portions of the pair of spring contact portions.

Gas sensor

A gas sensor has a structure in which a sensor body is secured to a sensor-mounting member using an attachment screw. The gas sensor is capable of ensuring the stability of installation of a protective cover. The gas sensor includes the sensor body in which a sensor device is disposed and the cylindrical attachment screw disposed on an outer circumference of the sensor body to be rotatable. The gas sensor is secured to the sensor-mounting member which has an internal thread engaging the attachment screw and a bearing surface disposed on a front end side of the internal thread. The sensor body has a flange which protrudes outwardly on the front end side of the attachment screw. The flange held between the bearing surface of the sensor-mounting member and the attachment screw in the axial direction. A protective cover is secured to the attachment screw closer to the base end side than an external thread engaging the internal thread is. The protective cover covers an outer periphery of at least a portion of the sensor body which is closer to the base end side than the sensor-mounting member is.

A gas sensor is provided which includes a sensor device, a plurality of contact springs, an insulator, a plurality of connecting terminals, and a lead cover. The insulator has an end surface which faces the connecting terminals and also includes as many protrusions as the contact springs. The insulator also has formed therein holding holes in which the contact springs are disposed. Each of the protrusions has formed therein a through-hole which communicates between an end surface of the protrusion and one of the holding holes. The through-holes are discrete from each other and formed one in each of the protrusions. This minimizes a risk of occurrence of leakage current between the contact springs or the connecting terminals arising from dew condensation and ensures a high degree of measurement accuracy of the gas sensor.

A sensor for a vehicleis provided with a sensor element, plurality of lead wires electrically connected to the sensor element, a metallic cylindrical cover and a rubber bush positioned in a partial inner-space of a base end of the cylindrical cover. Radial contraction of the cylindrical cover and compression of bush, deforming the bush radially inward thereof, supports the leads wires inserted through each of the respective through-holes. The cylindrical cover is provided with a curved portion having a base end of which a whole circumferential edge is bent radially inward, thereby producing the curved portion opposing a rim of the bush in an axial direction.

Vehicle sensor with a plurality of lead wires

A sensor includes contact springs placed in contact with electrode terminals on major surfaces of a sensor device. At least one of the contact springs includes a spring contact portion, a spring holding portion, a spring bent portion, and a spring connecting portion. The spring contact portion contacts an outer surface of one of the electrode terminals. The spring holding portion is turned from the spring contact portion and extends outside the spring contact portion so as to overlap the spring contact portion in the contacting direction. The spring bent portion is bent inwardly from the spring holding portion and extends at a given angle to the contacting direction. The spring connecting portion is bent from the spring bent portion and extends in the axial direction of the sensor. Such a structure enables the contact spring to be reduced in size and thickness without sacrificing a required mechanical strength thereof.

Sensor

The gas sensor includes a sensor element, a first insulator inside which the sensor element is inserted, a second insulator disposed on a proximal side of the first insulator so as to cover a proximal side of the sensor element, and a contact member held by the second insulator and sandwiching the sensor element. A proximal end portion of the first insulator and a distal end portion of the second insulator abut on each other in an axial direction. Each the proximal end portion and the distal end portion is provided with a positioning structure. The positioning structure is configured to restrict a relative movement between the first and second insulators in a sandwiching direction in which the sensor element is sandwiched by the contact member and in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the sandwiching direction and in the axial direction.

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Kariya, Japan

Satoshi Hino