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:
Jul. 13, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 21, 1996
Nobuhide Kato, Ama-gun, JP;
Nobukazu Ikoma, Nagoya, JP;
Satoshi Nishikawa, Nagoya, JP;
Takeya Miyashita, Kasugai, JP;
NGK Insulators, Ltd., Nagoya, JP;
Abstract
A combustible gas sensor having a pair of temperature sensor sections is here disclosed. One of the pair of temperature sensor sections is covered with porous oxidizing catalytic layers (23, 24) for oxidizing a combustible gas, and the other is not covered with the oxidizing catalyst layers. In the one temperature sensor section, the combustible gas is burned, and in the other temperature sensor section, the temperature of a gas to be measured is compensated. The temperature sensor sections each comprises temperature sensitive portions (13, 14) made of a dense ceramic material, resistors (21, 22) buried therein and having a positive resistance temperature coefficient, current leads (31, 32, 41, 42) and voltage leads (33, 34, 43, 44). A method for measuring the concentration of the combustible gas by the use of this combustible gas sensor is also disclosed. A method for detecting the deterioration of a catalyst which intends to eliminate the combustible gas, by the use of this combustible gas sensor is further disclosed. When a difference between temperatures of the pair of resistors or a difference between powers fed to the pair of resistors is in excess of a predetermined value, it is judged that the catalyst has been deteriorated.