公开(公告)号：US11585781B2

公开(公告)日：2023-02-21

申请号：US17002942

申请日：2020-08-26

Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.

Inventor： Yusuke Watanabe ,  Shotaro Niizuma ,  Hayami Aota ,  Toshihiro Hirakawa

IPC: G01N27/406 ,  G01N27/407 ,  G01N33/00

Abstract: A gas sensor includes: a sensor element; a ceramic housing holding a rear end portion of the sensor element and provided with metal terminals electrically connected to the sensor element; and an elastic insulating member that is fixed in the rear of the sensor element and into which a plurality of lead wires electrically connected to the metal terminals are inserted. The elastic insulating member has one or more common spaces formed in a surface of the elastic insulating member that faces the ceramic housing. Two or more of the lead wires are arranged in each common space.

公开(公告)号：US11531014B2

公开(公告)日：2022-12-20

申请号：US16998003

申请日：2020-08-20

Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.

Inventor： Yusuke Watanabe ,  Takayuki Sekiya ,  Daichi Ichikawa

IPC: G01N27/419 ,  G01N33/00 ,  G01N27/407

Abstract: A controller of the gas sensor can perform diagnostic processing of diagnosing a situation of control to the gas sensor in a case that the gas sensor in an operation state is determined to satisfy a predetermined diagnostic condition and adjustment processing of adjusting a condition for controlling the gas sensor in accordance with a result of diagnosis. In the diagnostic processing, a main pump voltage and a diagnostic threshold as a value of a voltage not causing decomposition of NOx in the main pump cell are compared. In the adjustment processing, temperature adjustment processing to cause, in a case that the main pump voltage is diagnosed to be equal to the threshold or more, the main pump voltage to be less than the threshold, at least in a way that the heater part increases the element driving temperature in the operation state by a predetermined increase amount is performed.

公开(公告)号：US11249044B2

公开(公告)日：2022-02-15

申请号：US16522715

申请日：2019-07-26

Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.

Inventor： Yusuke Watanabe ,  Mika Kai ,  Ryo Onishi ,  Saki Suzuki

IPC: G01N27/407 ,  G01N27/409 ,  G01N27/406 ,  G01N27/41 ,  G01N27/416

Abstract: A first leading-end protective layer surrounding a first range at least including a leading end surface of an element base is included on a side of one end portion. A single heat insulating space is interposed between the first layer and the element base in the first range. The element base further includes a second leading-end protective layer having a larger porosity than the first layer, and located on a whole side surface at least in the first range. An end portion of the first layer opposite the one end portion is a fixed portion to the second layer. A portion where the fixed portion is in contact with the second layer is 10% to 50%, in area, of the first range. The fixed portion and the second layer make an end portion angle of 5° to 15° in an end portion of the heat insulating space.

公开(公告)号：US11067531B2

公开(公告)日：2021-07-20

申请号：US16734616

申请日：2020-01-06

Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.

Inventor： Yusuke Watanabe ,  Takayuki Sekiya

IPC: G01N27/41 ,  G01N27/419 ,  G01N27/30 ,  G01N27/407 ,  G01N27/406

Abstract: A method of operation of a gas sensor includes applying a control voltage that is repetitively set to on state and off state between the reference electrode and the measurement-object gas side electrode to pump in oxygen to the periphery of the reference electrode; and detecting the specific gas concentration in the measurement-object gas on the basis of a voltage between the reference electrode and the measurement electrode during a second period, from among a first period that is started upon setting of the control voltage to on state, during which a potential difference between the reference electrode and the measurement-object gas side electrode is large, and the second period that is started upon setting of the control voltage to off state after the potential difference falls from the first period.

公开(公告)号：US10908118B2

公开(公告)日：2021-02-02

申请号：US16351741

申请日：2019-03-13

Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.

Inventor： Yusuke Watanabe ,  Takayuki Sekiya

IPC: G01N27/407 ,  G01N27/41 ,  G01N27/30 ,  G01N27/409 ,  G01N33/00

Abstract: A sensor element includes: a main pump cell constituted by an inner pump electrode facing a first inner space into which a measurement gas is introduced, an external pump electrode provided on an element surface, and a solid electrolyte located therebetween; and a measurement pump cell constituted by the measurement electrode facing a second inner space which is communicated with the first inner space and functioning as a reduction catalyst for NOx, and a solid electrolyte located therebetween. The inner pump electrode has a planar shape in which two parts of a front end part relatively having a large area and a rear end part relatively having a small area are sequentially connected in this order from an upstream side in a longitudinal direction of the sensor element while satisfying requirements of a predetermined size and area.

公开(公告)号：US10712307B2

公开(公告)日：2020-07-14

申请号：US15238817

申请日：2016-08-17

Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.

Inventor： Yusuke Watanabe ,  Takao Murase ,  Masashi Yasui ,  Rui Sakaguchi

IPC: G01N27/406 ,  H05B1/02 ,  H05B3/26

Abstract: A heater 72 of a heater portion includes linear portions 78 and bend portions 77. A resistance value per unit length of the bend portions 77 at least at a temperature within a temperature range of no less than 700° C. and no more than 900° C. is lower than a resistance value per unit length of the linear portions 78.

公开(公告)号：US11959877B2

公开(公告)日：2024-04-16

申请号：US17128361

申请日：2020-12-21

Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.

Inventor： Yusuke Watanabe ,  Takayuki Sekiya

IPC: G01N27/407 ,  G01N1/24 ,  G01N27/41 ,  G01N33/00 ,  G01R19/00

CPC classification number: G01N27/41 ,  G01N1/24 ,  G01N27/4071 ,  G01N33/0006 ,  G01R19/0092

Abstract: In a gas sensor, oxygen pumping control is performed to pump oxygen from the surroundings of an outer side pump electrode into the surroundings of a reference electrode. In addition, during execution of the oxygen pumping control, a pump current Ip2 is measured when oxygen originating from NOx is pumped out from the surroundings of a measurement electrode so that a voltage V2 reaches a target voltage V2*. Then, the NOx concentration of a measurement-object gas is calculated based on Ip2. In the gas sensor, the NOx concentration is corrected based on DVref which is the difference between Vref1 and Vref2, wherein Vref1 is the voltage across the reference electrode and the outer side pump electrode when the oxygen pumping control is not performed, and Vref2 is the voltage across the reference electrode and the outer side pump electrode when the oxygen pumping control is performed.

公开(公告)号：US11879865B2

公开(公告)日：2024-01-23

申请号：US17207986

申请日：2021-03-22

Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.

Inventor： Yusuke Watanabe ,  Mika Kai ,  Ryo Onishi ,  Saki Suzuki ,  Takashi Hino

IPC: G01N27/407 ,  C04B38/00 ,  G01N27/41 ,  G01N27/419

CPC classification number: G01N27/4077 ,  C04B38/00 ,  G01N27/4071 ,  G01N27/4078 ,  G01N27/41 ,  G01N27/419

Abstract: A sensor element includes: an inner protective layer having a porosity of 30% to 65% on two main surfaces; an intermediate protective layer, at least a part of which has contact with the inner layer, and having a porosity of 25% to 80%, which is equal to or smaller than the porosity of the inner layer; and an outer protective layer surrounding an element base on an outermost periphery on the one end portion of the sensor element, having contact with the intermediate and the inner layer, having contact with a leading end surface of the element base or the intermediate layer on the leading end surface, and having a porosity of 15% to 30%, which is smaller than the porosity of the intermediate layer, wherein a difference of porosity between the inner and the outer layer is 10% to 50%.

公开(公告)号：US11815485B2

公开(公告)日：2023-11-14

申请号：US17022194

申请日：2020-09-16

Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.

Inventor： Shotaro Niizuma ,  Yusuke Watanabe ,  Toshihiro Hirakawa ,  Hayami Aota

IPC: G01N27/407

CPC classification number: G01N27/4073

Abstract: A gas sensor includes: a sensor element; a plurality of element pads formed on a rear end portion of the sensor element; and a plurality of contact members holding the rear end portion of the sensor element and electrically connected respectively to the plurality of element pads. The plurality of contact members include contact members that each have an outer end surface protruding out from a corresponding one of end surfaces of the sensor element.

公开(公告)号：US11656151B2

公开(公告)日：2023-05-23

申请号：US17699836

申请日：2022-03-21

Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.

Inventor： Yusuke Watanabe ,  Shotaro Niizuma ,  Hayami Aota ,  Toshihiro Hirakawa ,  Kirari Takahashi

IPC: G01M15/10 ,  F01N13/00

CPC classification number: G01M15/102 ,  F01N13/008 ,  F01N2560/026 ,  F01N2560/20

Abstract: The probability of a heater portion of a sensor element being exposed to water is lowered. The sensor element includes a built-in heater that extends in a longitudinal direction and a surrounding housing extending in the longitudinal direction. The heater includes a heat generation portion and a lead portion. The heat generation portion has a front end and a rear end, and is positioned on the same side as a front end portion side of the sensor element. The housing includes an enlarged diameter portion having a diameter of an inner wall that increases in a direction toward the front end of the sensor. The enlarged diameter portion includes a front end portion and a rear end portion. The rear end of the heat generation portion is located closer to the front end of the sensor than the rear end portion of the enlarged diameter portion is.