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:
May. 29, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 05, 1999
Noboru Taniguchi, Osaka, JP;
Masuo Takigawa, Nara, JP;
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
The present invention relates to a limiting-current type hydrocarbon sensor comprising a solid-electrolytic layer made of a Ba—Ce-based oxide, and provides a sensor capable of stably detecting hydrocarbon at high sensitivity, regardless of the concentration of oxygen in an atmosphere. A material mainly containing Al is used for at least one of two electrodes on the solid-electrolytic layer made of a Ba—Ce-based oxide to block oxygen at the electrode, i.e. cathode, whereby a hydrocarbon sensor being stable, high in sensitivity, compact, easy to use and low in cost can be provided. Furthermore, the other electrode, anode, of the limiting-current type hydrocarbon sensor is made of a material mainly containing Ag. The limiting-current type hydrocarbon sensor comprises a thin sensor-use solid-electrolytic layer capable of conducting protons and oxide ions, a pair of sensor-use electrodes formed on both sides of the solid-electrolytic layer, one electrode on each side, and a gas diffusion rate determining layer formed on the side of the cathode, one of the pair of electrodes. On the sensor-use solid-electrolytic layer on the side of the anode, a solid ion pump for transferring oxygen, hydrogen or water vapor is provided between the anode and the atmosphere under measurement.