Tohoku Metal Industries

Tetsuro Baba

Michio Nemoto

Hiroyasu Sato

Kiyokazu Yoshida

Yoshiharu Sato

A air-flow-rate sensor having a thermo-magnetically operated switch including a U-shaped temperature sensitive ferromagnetic piece, a positive temperature characteristic thermister, and two terminal plates, which are stationarily mounted in an opening chamber of an insulator frame. The two terminal plates are for connecting the thermister to an external electric power source and are in contact with respective input electrodes on opposite surfaces of the thermister. One of the two terminal plates is formed in a generally arcuate form to elastically press the other terminal plate onto the ferromagnetic piece through the thermister. The thermo-magnetically operated switch is fixedly mounted on the frame by fitting its opposite terminals into grooves formed in the inner wall of the frame. Each terminal plate is also fixed to the frame by fitting both ends into another grooves formed in the inner wall of the frame. The thermister is fixedly supported between the two terminal plate by engaging projections formed on one terminal plate. The frame may have grilles for covering the opening chamber.

Air-flow-rate sensors

A thermo-magnetically operated switch having lower and higher operating points is maintained open below the lower operating point and above the higher operating point and is maintained closed between the two different operating points, and comprises a reed switch, two permanent magnets disposed alongside the reed switch over the respective reeds, a first ferromagnetic body having a Curie point corresponding to the higher operating point and disposed between the two magnets, and a second ferromagnetic body or bodies having a Curie point corresponding to the lower operating point and disposed along the two magnets. In order to improve reliability of the switch, two third ferromagnetic bodies having Curie points at or above the lower operating point are disposed to engage axial opposite ends of the second ferromagnetic body or bodies and the other pole faces of the magnets opposite the pole faces engage the first ferromagnetic body. The third ferromagnetic bodies may be integrally formed with the second ferromagnetic body or bodies.

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Sendai, Japan

Tetsuro Baba