The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 16, 1998
Filed:
Nov. 22, 1996
Bertrand Lemire, Schierling, DE;
Willibald Schuerz, Aufhausen, DE;
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich, DE;
Abstract
An exhaust gas sensor has first and second sensor elements. Exhaust gas surroundings of the first sensor element are catalytically activated, so that an oxygen partial pressure which is in equilibrium will always be measured by the first sensor element, regardless of the conversion capability of a catalytic converter. The exhaust gas surroundings of the second sensor element are separate from the exhaust gas surroundings of the first sensor element, so that the exhaust gas surroundings of the second sensor element are not catalytically active. As a function of the conversion capability of the catalytic converter, the second sensor element measures either an equilibrium oxygen partial pressure or a free oxygen partial pressure, which are of different magnitudes. A malfunction of the catalytic converter is detected by comparing measurement signals of the first and second sensor elements.