Ngk Spark Plug Company, Limited

Nkg Spark Plug Co., Ltd.

Takio Kojima

Takafumi Oshima

Yoshihiko Kohmura

Shunsuke Maeda

Yoshinori Tsujimura

Masato Taniguchi

Yoshihiro Nakano

Shigeaki Akao

Masanori Suda

Yasuhisa Kuzuya

Masahito Kida

Shinichi Nakagawa

Youichi Hattori

Takeshi Mitsuoka

Ryuji Inoue

Mitsuyoshi Kawamura

Norihiko Nadanami

Yuzo Higuchi

Shinsuke Ito

Koichi Ikawa

Toshiyuki Matsuoka

Wataru Matsutani

Masaya Ito

Satoshi Sugaya

Tetsuo Yamada

Shiro Kakimoto

Hayato Katsuda

Taku Hirano

Masatoshi Ueki

Yuichi Koyama

Koichi Fujita

Shinichiro Kito

Kouichi Ikawa

Takashi Mori

Masahiro Takakura

Takuya Mizuno

Yuichi Kouyama

Tetuo Yamada

A relay includes: a pair of fixed terminals, each being arranged to have a fixed contact on a one-end face; a movable contact member arranged to have a pair of movable contacts that are correspondingly opposed to the respective fixed contacts; and a driving structure operated to move the movable contact member. In a moving direction of the movable contact member, a side where the fixed contacts are located is called a first side, and a side where the movable contacts are located is called a second side. The movable contact member includes: a center section located between the pair of movable contacts and located on the second side relative to the movable contacts; and a pair of extended sections located between the center section and the pair of movable contacts and extended in a direction including a component of the moving direction. At least one of the pair of extended sections has a specific relationship of being overlapped at least partly with the one-end face located on same side relative to the center section in vertical projection of the relay onto a predetermined plane perpendicular to the moving direction.

Relay

A relay includes: a plurality of fixed terminals arranged to have fixed contacts; and a movable contact member arranged to have a plurality of movable contacts that are correspondingly opposed to the respective fixed contacts. The relay further includes: a driving structure operated to move the movable contact member such that the respective movable contacts come into contact with the corresponding fixed contacts; a plurality of first vessels provided corresponding to the respective fixed terminals and arranged to have insulating property; a second vessel joined with the plurality of first vessels; and an air-tight space formed by the plurality of fixed terminals, the plurality of first vessels and the second vessel to allow the movable contact member and the respective fixed contacts to be placed therein.

A pressure detection apparatus has a pressure-sensitive resistor whose first resistance varies according to pressure and a change of its own temperature, a temperature-sensitive resistor which has a same resistance-temperature coefficient as the pressure-sensitive resistor and whose second resistance varies according to the change of the temperature, a current source supplying first and second constant-currents to the pressure-sensitive and temperature-sensitive resistors respectively, and a pressure signal generation output section. The current source adjusts the first and second constant-currents so that when the pressure is an initial pressure, a reference first voltage appearing across the pressure-sensitive resistor and a reference second voltage appearing across the temperature-sensitive resistor become equal to each other. The pressure signal generation output section outputs a first voltage signal corresponding to the pressure on the basis of a difference voltage between a first voltage of the pressure-sensitive resistor and a second voltage of the temperature-sensitive resistor.

Pressure detection apparatus

Between a gas sensing layer () and a base member () composed of a silicon substrate () and an insulating coat layer (), there is formed an adhesion layer, to improve the adhesion therebetween, and to prevent separation. The gas sensing layer () and sensing electrodes () are electrically connected by abutment of a confronting surface () of sensing electrodes () confronting the gas sensing layer () and sides surfaces of the sensing electrodes on both sides, on the gas sensing layer (), and accordingly the gas sensor properly senses an electric characteristic of the gas sensing layer () varied in accordance with a concentration variation of a specified gas. Furthermore, the sensing electrodes () are in contact with the gas sensing layer (), but the sensing electrodes are not in contact with the adhesion layer (). Therefore, the adhesion layer () need not be a complete insulating layer, and it is possible to use, as the adhesion layer, an incomplete insulating film or a conductive film, so that options of the adhesion layer () are increased.

Gas sensor

A method and apparatus for controlling a multi-gas sensor, including an NOsensor section and an ammonia sensor section. The NOsensor section includes a first pumping cell adapted to pump oxygen into or out of a gas under measurement introduced into a first measurement chamber, and a second pumping cell communicating with the first measurement chamber and configured such that a second pumping current Ipcorresponds to an NOconcentration of the gas under measurement. Oxygen concentration is calculated on the basis of a first pumping current flowing through the first pumping cell, and a corrected ammonia concentration is calculated on the basis of the oxygen concentration and the ammonia concentration output of the ammonia sensor section.

Method and apparatus for controlling multi-gas sensor

A pressure sensor has a Si device having a first main surface that has a bonded area, a second main surface parallel to the first main surface, a pressure-sensitive resistor formed on the first main surface, and a joining assist pattern formed on the first main surface, and a pressing member bonded to the bonded area on the first main surface and compressing the Si device in a thickness direction. The pressure-sensitive resistor has a first bonded section which is placed within the bonded area of the first main surface and is bonded to the pressing member. The joining assist pattern has a second bonded section which is made of the same material as the first bonded section of the pressure-sensitive resistor and is placed within the bonded area of the first main surface and is bonded to the pressing member.

Pressure sensor

There is provided a gas sensor, including a gas sensing film formed of an oxide semiconductor material and a gas-permeable protection layer formed of oxide particles and arranged on the gas sensing film. The oxide particles of the protection layer have an average particle size of 500 nm or smaller.

The object of the present invention is to provide a gas sensor in which a gas detection element is mounted on a wiring substrate; in which a protective cap having gas inlets formed therein is attached to the wiring substrate; and which has a structure capable of effectively preventing emanation of gas from the wiring substrate and the protective cap. A gas sensor comprises a gas detecting element on a writing board where a protective cap with air vents is mounted. The sensor effectively prevents a gas from emanating from the wiring board and the protective cap. The wiring board where a plurality of gas detecting elements () are to be mounted is formed of a ceramic wiring board () excellent in heat resistance. The protective cap () having air vents (to) is formed of a metal excellent in heat resistance. The metal protective cap () is fitted to the ceramic wiring board () instead of using adhesive. In this way a gas sensor () is manufactured. Adoption of such a structure enables suppression of the gas emission from the ceramic wiring board () and the metal protective cap () effectively during the manufacturing step or in use of the gas sensor () attached to a car, thereby preventing lowering of the gas detection accuracy or early deterioration of the gas detecting elements ().

A micro-heater including a semiconductor substrate having a cavity; an insulating layer provided on an upper side of the semiconductor substrate and closing the cavity; and a heater element embedded in a portion of the insulating layer above the cavity and including a metallic material. The insulating layer includes: a compressive stress film made of silicon oxide; and a tensile stress film made of silicon nitride. The tensile stress film has a thickness not less than that of the compressive stress film.

Micro-heater and sensor

There is provided an oxidizing gas sensor that includes an insulating substrate, a gas sensing layer laminated on the insulating substrate and substantially made of tin oxide so as to make resistance changes in response to concentration variations in oxidizing gas and a plurality of catalyst grains applied to a surface of the gas sensing layer and substantially made of gold, wherein 20% or more of the catalyst grains have an aspect ratio of 2.0 or greater when viewed at from the surface of the gas sensing layer.

Oxidizing gas sensor and production method thereof

The present invention provides a gas sensor having excellent humidity resistance even if used in a high temperature and high humidity atmosphere. According to the present invention, a gas sensor is comprised of: a silicon substrate; a metal-oxide semiconductor portion comprised mainly of SnOand formed on the substrate; and a catalytic portion comprised of Pd and dispersed on a surface of the metal-oxide semiconductor portion, wherein the metal-oxide semiconductor portion and the catalytic portion constitute a gas sensing portion. Furthermore, an insulating portion comprised mainly of SiOis formed dispersedly on a surface of the gas sensing portion. Further, the catalytic portion and the insulating portion are formed on the surface of the metal-oxide semiconductor portion so that the surface additive rate, which is expressed by Si/(Pd+Si) representing the ratio in the number of atoms of Si to Pd, of the gas sensing portion having the insulating portion may be 65% or more to 97% or less, and so that the surface additive rate, which is expressed by Si/(Sn+Si) representing the ratio in the number of atoms of Si to Sn, of the gas sensing portion may be 75% or more to 97% or less.

A mass flow sensor includes a semiconductor substrate , an insulating thin film , heaters and , temperature measurement resistors and , and a protective layer . The heaters and are formed on the surface of the insulating thin film , and are provided adjacently such that the heater is provided upstream the heater and the heater is provided downstream the heater . A cavity is formed below the heaters and , and the heaters are thermally insulated from the remaining portion of the semiconductor substrate. The temperature measurement resistors and are formed on the top surface of the insulating thin film , and are provided at opposite sides of the heaters and , such that the resistors are aligned with respect to the flow passage of a fluid. In the mass flow sensor and the mass flowmeter including the sensor, the flow rate and flow direction of a fluid can be detected by means of merely the heaters and , which are active elements. Therefore, the sensor and the flowmeter exhibits high-speed response with respect to change in the flow rate of the fluid.

Mass flow sensor and mass flowmeter comprising the same

A split-flow-type flowmeter includes a detection element disposed to face a flow path thereof and a venturi structure formed within a flow path in the vicinity of the detection element and adapted to throttle a flow directed toward the detection element to thereby reduce disturbance of the flow. The venturi structure is disposed in opposition to the detection element within the flow path and includes a protrusion protruding toward the detection element within the flow path of the split-flow-type flowmeter.

Split-flow flowmeter with a profusion facing the detection element

A split-flow-type flowmeter in which an end portion of a flow splitter tube is inserted into a main-flow pipe having a diameter D. A flow splitter tube includes a U-shaped split-flow passage . A detection element is disposed at a bottom portion (not shown) of the U-shaped split-flow passage . The split-flow passage assumes a flow path structure symmetrical with respect to a plane passing through the detection element. A flow inlet and a flow outlet of the split-flow passage face in mutually opposite directions along the flow direction of the main-flow pipe and open symmetrically at the same position on the flow cross section of the main-flow pipe . In order to divert into the split-flow passage a portion of relatively high flow rate of flow from the main-flow pipe , the center of opening of the flow inlet /flow outlet is positioned between the center of the flow cross section of the main-flow pipe and an average-flow-velocity position at which flow in the main-flow pipe is of an average flow velocity, as observed on the flow cross section of the main-flow pipe

Split-flow-type flowmeter

A flow measurement device is disclosed, in which an accumulation of pollution substance onto a detection element is prevented, and which can measure a reverse flow similarly to a normal flow. On both ends of an outer wall outer peripheral portion of a divided flow pipe having a &OHgr;-shape pipe passage, there are oppositely formed an inlet port and an outlet port , which open in faces orthogonal to a flow direction of a main flow M that is a detection object. Within the divided flow pipe , by a curved partition , plural branch flow passages mutually branching and joining in the divided flow pipe are formed. Inside both end portions of the outer wall , undulation portions are formed so as to clog an inlet and an outlet of the outer peripheral side branch flow passage and, by this, throttles are formed respectively in a flow passage between the inlet port and the inlet of the branch flow passage and a flow passage between the outlet port and the outlet of the branch flow passage . In a bottom portion of the outer wall of the divided flow pipe , a detection element is attached so as to be exposed to a flow in the outer peripheral side branch flow passage and, against its detection face, a down flow DW further divided from a divided flow D obliquely impinges.

Growing community of inventors

Aichi, Japan

Takio Kojima