CN109211998B - Gas sensor and method for manufacturing gas sensor - Google Patents
Gas sensor and method for manufacturing gas sensor Download PDFInfo
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- CN109211998B CN109211998B CN201810011068.8A CN201810011068A CN109211998B CN 109211998 B CN109211998 B CN 109211998B CN 201810011068 A CN201810011068 A CN 201810011068A CN 109211998 B CN109211998 B CN 109211998B
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N27/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means
- G01N27/26—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means by investigating electrochemical variables; by using electrolysis or electrophoresis
- G01N27/403—Cells and electrode assemblies
- G01N27/406—Cells and probes with solid electrolytes
- G01N27/407—Cells and probes with solid electrolytes for investigating or analysing gases
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N27/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means
- G01N27/26—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means by investigating electrochemical variables; by using electrolysis or electrophoresis
- G01N27/403—Cells and electrode assemblies
- G01N27/406—Cells and probes with solid electrolytes
- G01N27/4062—Electrical connectors associated therewith
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N27/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means
- G01N27/26—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means by investigating electrochemical variables; by using electrolysis or electrophoresis
- G01N27/403—Cells and electrode assemblies
- G01N27/406—Cells and probes with solid electrolytes
- G01N27/407—Cells and probes with solid electrolytes for investigating or analysing gases
- G01N27/409—Oxygen concentration cells
Abstract
The invention provides a gas sensor and a manufacturing method thereof, which can restrain the reduction of the elasticity of a terminal metal member caused by the heat transfer from a separator and reliably electrically connect an electrode plate of a sensor element and the terminal metal member. The gas sensor includes a terminal metal member, a separator, and a sensor element having an electrode pad, wherein the terminal metal member includes a lead connecting portion, a main body portion, a protruding piece portion protruding from a tip end side of the main body portion, and an elastic portion connected to a tip end of the protruding piece portion and connected to the electrode pad, surfaces of the main body portion and the protruding piece portion located on a side opposite to the elastic portion are respectively a main surface and a sub surface, an area of a 1 st opposing surface of the main surface opposing a through hole of the separator is larger than an area of a 2 nd opposing surface of the sub surface opposing the through hole, at least a part of the 2 nd opposing surface is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the separator where the through hole is formed, and the 1 st opposing surface is spaced apart from the inner peripheral surface.
Description
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a gas sensor having a sensor element for detecting the concentration of a gas to be detected, and a method for manufacturing the gas sensor.
Background
As a reagent for detecting oxygen and NO in exhaust gas of automobiles and the likeXAs the gas sensor having the concentration of (2), a gas sensor having a plate-like sensor element using a solid electrolyte is known.
As such a gas sensor, a gas sensor having the following structure is widely used: a plurality of electrode pads (electrode pads) are provided on the outer surface of the plate-shaped sensor element on the rear end side, and a terminal metal fitting is brought into electrical contact with each of the electrode pads to take out a sensor output signal from the sensor element to the outside or supply power to a heater laminated on the sensor element (patent document 1).
Here, as shown in fig. 19, the terminal fitting 200 is formed in a strip shape having a cross section in the shape of japanese kana "コ" by cutting and raising a metal plate, for example, and a tip end portion of a main surface 200a thereof is folded back toward a sensor element (not shown) to form a folded-back portion 202 elastically connected to an electrode pad of the sensor element. On the other hand, a crimping portion 204 for crimping the tip of the lead (japanese character: める) is formed on the rear end side of the terminal fitting 200. The terminal metal fitting 200 itself is inserted through the through-hole 1300h of the ceramic separator 1300 and held.
Documents of the prior art
Patent document
Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2015-129727 (FIG. 5)
Disclosure of Invention
Problems to be solved by the invention
When the folded portion 202 is in contact with the electrode pad of the sensor element, the folded portion 202 receives a reaction force F radially outward from the electrode pad. Therefore, in order to overcome the reaction force F, the main surface 200a of the terminal metal fitting 200 needs to be in firm ground contact with the wall surface of the through-hole 1300h of the separator 1300.
However, when the separator 1300 receives heat from exhaust gas or the like and becomes high in temperature, the heat is transmitted from the separator 1300 to the terminal fitting 200 through the main surface 200a, and the terminal fitting 200 may also become high in temperature. This involves the following risks: the elasticity is reduced due to softening or creep deformation of the folded-back portion 202 of the terminal metal fitting 200, and the reliability of the electrical connection between the terminal metal fitting 200 and the sensor element is reduced.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a gas sensor capable of reliably electrically connecting an electrode plate of a sensor element and a terminal fitting while suppressing a decrease in elasticity of the terminal fitting due to heat transfer from a separator, and a method for manufacturing the gas sensor.
Means for solving the problems
In order to solve the above problem, a gas sensor according to the present invention includes: a sensor element formed in a plate shape extending in an axial direction, the sensor element having an electrode pad on an outer surface on a rear end side; a terminal metal member extending in the axial direction and electrically connected to the electrode pad; a separator having a cylindrical shape, having a through hole for holding the terminal metal fitting, and surrounding a rear end side portion of the sensor element; and a lead wire connected to a rear end side portion of the terminal metal fitting and led out to a rear end side of the separator, wherein the terminal metal fitting includes: a lead wire connection portion connected to the lead wire; a main body portion connected to a tip end side of the lead connecting portion and extending in the axial direction; a protruding piece portion protruding from a distal end side of the main body portion in a direction intersecting the axial direction; and an elastic portion connected to a tip end of the protruding piece portion, the elastic portion being folded back toward the sensor element, and is elastically connected to the electrode pad, and has a surface of the main body portion on a side opposite to a side where the elastic portion is located as a main surface, and a surface of the protruding piece portion on a side opposite to the side where the elastic portion is located as a sub-surface, and, when a portion of the main surface facing the through-hole of the separator is a 1 st facing surface and a portion of the sub-surface facing the through-hole is a 2 nd facing surface, an area S1 of the 1 st facing surface is larger than an area S2 of the 2 nd facing surface, at least a portion of the 2 nd opposing surface is in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the separator, the inner circumferential surface forming the through-hole, and the 1 st opposing surface is spaced apart from the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole.
In this gas sensor, since at least a part of the 2 nd opposing surface is in contact with (a wall surface of) the through-hole, when a reaction force F from the electrode pad of the sensor element toward the outside in the radial direction is received by the folded portion opposing the 2 nd opposing surface, the reaction force can be firmly supported. As a result, the elastic force of the folded portion is maintained, and the electrode pad and the terminal fitting can be electrically connected stably.
Further, since the area S2 is smaller than the area S1, when a part or the entire area S2 is in contact with (a wall surface of) the through-hole or is closer to (a wall surface of) the through-hole than the 1 st facing surface, the area of the 2 nd facing surface which is likely to receive heat from the separator is relatively small, and heat transfer from the separator to the entire terminal fitting can be reduced. The entire 2 nd opposing surface may be in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole (the inner peripheral surface of the separator).
On the other hand, since the 1 st facing surface having a large area is spaced apart from the through-hole (inner circumferential surface of the separator), the 1 st facing surface having a relatively large area as compared with the 2 nd facing surface is spaced apart from (the wall surface of) the through-hole than the 2 nd facing surface, and the 1 st facing surface and the separator can be thermally insulated from each other by air. As a result, heat transfer from the separator to the entire terminal fitting can be reduced.
In this way, the electrode plate of the sensor element and the terminal metal member can be reliably electrically connected while suppressing the elastic reduction of the folded portion of the terminal metal member due to softening or creep deformation caused by heat transfer from the separator.
In the gas sensor according to the present invention, a minimum distance d1 between the 1 st opposing surface and the through-hole may be larger than a maximum distance d2 between the 2 nd opposing surface and the through-hole.
With this gas sensor, the 1 st opposing surface having a relatively larger area than the 2 nd opposing surface can be reliably separated from (the wall surface of) the through-hole than the 2 nd opposing surface, and the 1 st opposing surface and the spacer can be thermally insulated from each other by air. As a result, the heat transfer from the separator to the entire terminal fitting can be further reduced.
In addition, the gas sensor shows the following mode: the 2 nd opposing surface has the maximum distance d2, that is, not the entire surface of the 2 nd opposing surface is in contact with (the wall surface of) the through-hole, but a part of the 2 nd opposing surface is in contact with (the wall surface of) the through-hole.
In the gas sensor according to the present invention, a portion of the through-hole that faces the main surface may be located radially outward of a portion of the through-hole that faces the sub-surface.
With this gas sensor, the distance between the through-hole and the main surface can be further increased, and the heat transfer from the separator to the entire terminal fitting can be further reduced.
In the gas sensor according to the present invention, the main surface of the terminal metal fitting may be located radially inward of the sub-surface.
With this gas sensor, the distance between the through-hole and the main surface can be further increased, and the heat transfer from the separator to the entire terminal fitting can be further reduced.
In the gas sensor according to the present invention, a 1 st step portion may be formed between a portion of the through-hole that faces the main surface and a portion of the through-hole that faces the sub-surface, the sub-surface of the terminal metal fitting may be connected to the main surface via a 2 nd step portion, the main surface may be located radially outward of the sub-surface, and the main surface or the 2 nd step portion may be locked to the 1 st step portion to position the terminal metal fitting.
In the gas sensor, the portion of the through-hole that faces the main surface is located radially outward of the portion of the through-hole that faces the sub-surface, and therefore the distance between the through-hole and the main surface can be further increased. Further, by using the 1 st step portion also as a positioning portion of the terminal fitting, it is not necessary to additionally provide a positioning portion of the terminal fitting to the separator, and productivity can be improved without complicating the shape of the separator.
A method of manufacturing a gas sensor according to claim 1 of the present invention is a method of manufacturing a gas sensor including a sensor element having 1 pair of electrode plates or two or more pairs of electrode plates on a front surface and a back surface, and 1 pair of terminal fittings or two or more pairs of terminal fittings each having a contact portion on each elastic portion, the contact portions being electrically connected to the electrode plates through the sensor element, the terminal fittings being held in through holes of a separator so that the contact portions face each other, the method including: a spacer housing step of using a 1 st jig, the 1 st jig having a housing space for housing the spacer along the axis direction, wherein when the spacer and the terminal fitting are housed in the housing space, a planar portion of a predetermined thickness provided upright from a bottom surface of the housing space along a rear end side portion of the spacer is disposed at a position corresponding to an opposing surface of the contact portions, the spacer is housed from a rear end side of the 1 st jig, and the planar portion is inserted into the through hole of the spacer at a position corresponding to the opposing surface; a terminal fitting holding step of inserting each of the terminal fittings into the through-hole from a rear end side of the separator so as to hold the terminal fitting with the flat surface portion interposed therebetween; and a jig detaching step of detaching the 1 st jig from the separator toward the tip end side.
In the method of manufacturing a gas sensor according to claim 1, when 1 or more pairs of terminal fittings are attached to the separator so that the contact portions face each other, the contact portions are separated by the flat surface portions of the 1 st jig, so that the facing terminal fittings are prevented from coming into contact with each other and being entangled with each other, and damage and deformation of the terminal fittings are prevented, thereby improving the operability.
A method of manufacturing a gas sensor according to claim 2 of the present invention is a method of manufacturing a gas sensor in which the sensor element has 1 pair of the electrode pads or two or more pairs of the electrode pads on a front surface and a back surface, and 1 pair of the terminal fittings or two or more pairs of the terminal fittings having contact portions on the elastic portions are held in through holes of the separator so that the contact portions face each other, and the contact portions are electrically connected to the electrode pads through the sensor element, the method including: a lead wire insertion step of inserting a lead wire connectable to each of the terminal fittings through the through-hole of the separator and protruding from a tip end side of the through-hole; a terminal metal fitting connection step of electrically connecting the terminal metal fittings to the tip ends of the leads, respectively; a terminal metal fitting housing step of using a 2 nd jig having a housing space capable of housing the terminal metal fitting in the axial direction so as to be the same as a holding position of the terminal metal fitting in the separator, wherein when the terminal metal fitting is housed in the housing space, a flat surface portion of a predetermined thickness provided upright from a bottom surface of the housing space in the axial direction is disposed at a position corresponding to a surface facing the contact portions, an inner diameter of the housing space is smaller than or equal to a maximum outer diameter of a tip portion of the separator, and the terminal metal fitting is housed from a rear end side of the 2 nd jig so as to be spaced apart from the flat surface portion between the contact portions; a spacer abutting step of abutting a tip end of the spacer against a rear end of the 2 nd jig while pulling the lead to a rear end side; a terminal metal fitting holding step of inserting the terminal metal fitting into the through hole from a tip end side of the through hole of the separator abutting against a rear end of the 2 nd jig and holding the terminal metal fitting; and a jig detaching step of detaching the 2 nd jig from the separator toward the tip end side.
In the method of manufacturing a gas sensor according to claim 2, when 1 or more pairs of terminal fittings are attached to the separator so that the contact portions face each other, the contact portions are separated by the flat surface portions of the 2 nd jig, so that the facing terminal fittings are prevented from coming into contact with each other and being entangled with each other, and damage and deformation of the terminal fittings are prevented, thereby improving the operability.
Effect of the inventionFruit
With the present invention, it is possible to obtain a gas sensor in which the electrode plate of the sensor element and the terminal fitting can be reliably electrically connected while suppressing a decrease in the elasticity of the terminal fitting due to heat transfer from the separator.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a gas sensor according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, taken along an axial direction.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the terminal fitting in embodiment 1.
Fig. 3 is a rear view of the terminal fitting in embodiment 1.
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the terminal fitting in embodiment 1 is inserted into a through-hole of a separator and held.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a terminal fitting according to embodiment 2 of the present invention.
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the terminal fitting in embodiment 2 is inserted into a through-hole of a separator and held.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a terminal fitting according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.
Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the terminal fitting in embodiment 3 is inserted into a through-hole of a separator and held.
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the sensor element.
Fig. 10 is a plan view of the 1 st jig used in the embodiment of the 1 st aspect.
Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken along line a-a of fig. 10.
Fig. 12 is a view showing a state where the terminal fitting is inserted into the separator accommodated in the 1 st jig.
Fig. 13 is a process diagram of a method of manufacturing the gas sensor according to the embodiment of claim 1.
Fig. 14 is a plan view of the 2 nd jig used in the embodiment of the 2 nd aspect.
Fig. 15 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of fig. 14.
Fig. 16 is a view showing a state in which the terminal fitting is accommodated in the 2 nd jig.
Fig. 17 is a process diagram of a method of manufacturing the gas sensor according to the embodiment of claim 2.
Fig. 18 is a diagram showing a state in which the terminal fitting is offset in the arrangement direction with respect to the flat surface portion.
Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a conventional terminal fitting.
Description of the reference numerals
1a gas sensor; 10a sensor element; 10a gas detection unit; 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b electrode pads; 20. 30, 40 terminal metal pieces; 21. 31, 41 main body parts; 21a, 31a, 41a main surface; 21p contact part; 22. 32, 42 projecting tab portions; 22a, 32a, 42a minor faces; 22b 2 nd step (joint); 22c, 32c, 42c elastic parts; 23. 33, 43 lead connection parts; 90. separator 92 (No. 1 separator); 90e 1 st step; through holes (inner circumferential surfaces of the separators) 90h and 92 h; 90t 2 nd restriction member; 146 lead wires; 300, a 1 st jig; accommodating spaces of 300h and 400 h; 300b, 400 b; 300s, 400s the 1 st limiting member; 312. a planar portion 412; 314. 316 a terminal metal piece restraining member; 400, a 2 nd jig; an O axis; f1 opposite face 1; f2 opposite face 2; d1 inner diameter of the containing space; the maximum outer diameter of the tip end portion of the D2 separator; l is the arrangement direction.
Detailed Description
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.
Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the entire gas sensor (oxygen sensor) 1 according to embodiment 1 of the present invention along the axis O direction, fig. 2 is a perspective view of the terminal fitting 20, fig. 3 is a rear view of the terminal fitting 20, and fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the terminal fitting 20 is inserted into the through hole 90h of the 1 st separator 90 and held. In addition, fig. 4 shows a cross section taken along the line a-a of fig. 1 and orthogonal to the direction of the axis O.
The gas sensor 1 is an oxygen sensor for detecting the oxygen concentration in exhaust gas of an automobile or various internal combustion engines.
In fig. 1, a gas sensor 1 includes: a metal shell 138 having a cylindrical shape, the metal shell 138 having a screw portion 139 formed on an outer surface thereof for fixing the metal shell to an exhaust pipe; a sensor element 10 formed in a plate-like shape extending in the axis O direction (the longitudinal direction of the gas sensor 1: the vertical direction in the figure); a ceramic sleeve 106 having a cylindrical shape, the ceramic sleeve 106 being disposed so as to surround the sensor element 10 in the radial direction; a 1 st spacer 90 made of ceramic and having a cylindrical shape, the 1 st spacer 90 being disposed in a state in which an internal space on a tip end side thereof surrounds a periphery of a rear end portion of the sensor element 10; and 4 terminal fittings 20 (only two of which are illustrated in fig. 1), the 4 terminal fittings 20 being inserted into and held by through holes 90h, the through holes 90h penetrating the 1 st separator 90 in the axis O direction.
As will be described later, a cylindrical ceramic 2 nd separator 160 is disposed in contact with the rear end side of the 1 st separator 90.
The 1 st separator 90 corresponds to a "separator" in the technical aspect.
The 4 through holes 90h of the 1 st separator 90 communicate with the internal space on the tip end side of the 1 st separator 90, and the terminal fittings 20 face the outer surface on the rear end side of the sensor element 10 and are electrically connected to the electrode pads 11a to 12b formed on the outer surface.
In addition, two electrode pads 11a to 12b are arranged in the width direction on both surfaces on the rear end side of the sensor element 10. Each of the electrode pads 11a to 12b may be formed as a sintered body mainly made of Pt, for example.
On the other hand, the gas detection portion 10a at the tip end of the sensor element 10 is covered with a porous protection layer 14 of alumina or the like.
The main body metal housing 138 is made of a stainless steel material, and has a substantially cylindrical shape having a through hole 154 penetrating the main body metal housing 138 in the axial direction and a boss portion 152 protruding radially inward of the through hole 154. In the through hole 154, the sensor element 10 is disposed such that the distal end portion of the sensor element 10 protrudes beyond the distal end of the through hole 154 itself. The boss portion 152 is formed as a tapered surface facing inward and inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axial direction.
Further, inside the through hole 154 of the metal shell 138, a substantially annular alumina ceramic holder 151, a powder packed layer 153 (hereinafter also referred to as a talc ring 153), and the above-described ceramic sleeve 106 are laminated in this order from the distal end side to the rear end side so as to surround the periphery of the sensor element 10 in the radial direction.
Further, a crimp seal 157 is disposed between the ceramic sleeve 106 and the rear end portion 140 of the main metal shell 138. Further, the rear end portion 140 of the metal shell 138 is crimped so as to be able to press the ceramic sleeve 106 toward the distal end side via a crimp seal 157.
On the other hand, as shown in fig. 1, a double protector made of metal (for example, stainless steel material) that covers the protruding portion of the sensor element 10 and has a plurality of holes, that is, an outer protector 142 and an inner protector 143 are attached to the outer periphery of the distal end side (lower side in fig. 1) of the metal shell 138 by welding or the like.
An outer cylinder 144 is fixed to the outer periphery of the main metal shell 138 on the rear end side. A rubber washer 170 is disposed in an opening portion on the rear end side (upper side in fig. 1) of the outer tube 144, lead wire insertion holes (not shown) through which 4 lead wires 146 (only two lead wires are shown in fig. 1) are inserted are formed in the washer 170, and the 4 lead wires 146 are electrically connected to the 4 terminal fittings 20 (only two lead wires are shown in fig. 1) of the sensor element 10, respectively.
The lead wire 146 is drawn from the rear end side of the terminal fitting 20 to the rear end side of the 1 st separator 90, and further drawn to the outside of the gas sensor 1 through a through hole (not shown) of the 2 nd separator 160 and the washer 170.
Further, a 1 st spacer 90 is disposed on the rear end side (upper side in fig. 1) of the sensor element 10 protruding from the rear end portion 140 of the main body metal case 138, and the 1 st spacer 90 has a flange portion 90p protruding radially outward from the outer surface. The flange portion 90p is in contact with the outer cylinder 144 via the holding member 169, and the 1 st separator 90 is held inside the outer cylinder 144.
Further, a 2 nd separator 160 is disposed between the gasket 170 and the 1 st separator 90, and the 2 nd separator 160 is pushed toward the tip end side of the 1 st separator 90 by the elastic force of the gasket 170. Thereby, the flange portion 90p is pressed toward the holding member 169 side, and the 1 st separator 90 and the 2 nd separator 160 are held inside the outer cylinder 144.
Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the terminal fitting 20. In addition, although the gas sensor 1 has 4 terminal fittings 20 in the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, the 4 terminal fittings 20 are all in a shape in which adjacent terminal fittings 20 are line-symmetrical with each other in the 1 st separator 90, and therefore, the description will be given using 1 of the terminal fittings 20 (position i on the upper left in fig. 4).
The terminal fitting 20 at the position ii in the lower left of fig. 4 is line-symmetric with respect to the terminal fitting 20 at the position i with respect to a line along the surface direction of the sensor element 10. The terminal fitting 20 at the position iii on the lower right in fig. 4 is line-symmetric with respect to the terminal fitting 20 at the position ii with respect to a line perpendicular to the surface direction of the sensor element 10. The terminal fitting 20 at the upper right position iv in fig. 4 is line-symmetric with respect to the terminal fitting 20 at the position i with respect to a line perpendicular to the surface direction of the sensor element 10.
As shown in fig. 2, the terminal fitting 20 integrally extends in the axis O direction and integrally has: a lead wire connection portion 23 to which a lead wire 146 (see fig. 1) can be connected; a body portion 21 connected to the tip end side of the lead connecting portion 23 and extending in the axis O direction; a protruding piece 22 protruding from the distal end of the body 21 in a direction (width direction in fig. 1) intersecting the axis O direction; and an elastic portion 22c connected to the tip of the protruding piece portion 22, the elastic portion 22c being folded back toward the sensor element 10 and elastically connected to the electrode pad. Among the elastic portions 22c, a projection directly contacting the electrode pad is defined as a contact portion 21 p.
The main surface 21a is a surface of the body 21 located on the opposite side of the elastic portion 22c, and the sub surface 22a is a surface of the protruding piece 22 located on the opposite side of the elastic portion 22 c.
The terminal fitting 20 can be manufactured by punching 1 metal plate (inconel (registered trademark) or the like) and bending the punched metal plate into a predetermined shape, for example, but is not limited thereto.
The lead connecting portion 23 is a pressure contact terminal portion formed in a known cylindrical shape, and the lead 146 and the lead connecting portion 23 are electrically connected by inserting a portion of the lead 146, from which the covering is peeled off and the lead is exposed, into the cylindrical shape and pressure contacting the portion.
The body 21 has an L-shaped cross section, and the guide portion 21b is formed by folding back an outer portion of one side (opposite side to the sub-surface 22 a) in the width direction of the main surface 21a by 90 degrees. Further, a lead connecting portion 23 is integrally connected to the rear end side of the main surface 21 a. In this regard, the surface of the body 21 to which the lead connection portion 23 is not connected, that is, the lead portion 21b, does not correspond to the "main surface". The guide portion 21b serves as a guide when the terminal fitting 20 is inserted into the through hole 90h of the 1 st separator 90. The body 21 serves as a base of the terminal fitting 20 to secure the strength of the terminal fitting 20.
The outer portion of the other side (the side opposite to the guide portion 21 b) in the width direction of the main surface 21a is formed with a connecting portion 22b folded back in the same direction as the guide portion 21b and integrally connected to the sub-surface 22a, and the sub-surface 22a is parallel to the main surface 21 a. The protruding piece 22 includes an elastic portion 22c, and the elastic portion 22c is folded back toward the rear end side from the distal end of the sub-surface 22a toward the sensor element 10 and is elastically connected to the electrode pad 11a (see fig. 1 and 9). The elastic portion 22c elastically flexes in the radial direction with respect to the sub-surface 22 a.
As shown in fig. 9, the sensor element 10 is formed in a plate shape extending in the axis O direction, the tip portion 10s serves as a gas detection portion 10a for detecting the oxygen concentration, and the gas detection portion 10a is covered with the porous protection layer 14. The sensor element 10 itself is a well-known structure, and although not shown, it has: a gas detection unit including 1 pair of electrodes and a solid electrolyte body having oxygen ion permeability; and a heating unit that heats the gas detection unit and maintains a constant temperature.
Two electrode pads 11a, 11b are arranged along the width W on the rear end side of the one main surface (front surface) 10A of the sensor element 10, and a sensor output signal from the gas detection unit is output from these electrode pads 11a, 11b via lead portions (not shown). Two electrode pads 12a and 12B are arranged in the width direction on the rear end side of the other main surface (rear surface) 10B provided to face the main surface 10A, and power is supplied to the heating portion via a lead portion (not shown).
The electrode pads 11a, 11b, 12a, and 12b are formed in a rectangular shape elongated in the direction of the axis O, and can be formed as a sintered body mainly made of Pt, for example. In the present embodiment, the electrode pads 11a, 11b and the electrode pads 12a, 12b disposed on the respective surfaces of the sensor element 10 face each other across the sensor element 10 and are respectively paired, specifically, the electrode pad 11a and the electrode pad 12a in 1 pair face each other, and the electrode pad 11b and the electrode pad 12b in the other 1 pair face each other. That is, in the present embodiment, two pairs of electrode pads 11a, 11b, 12a, and 12b are provided.
The 4 terminal fittings 20 ( terminal fittings 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) described above are held in the through-holes 90h of the separator 90, and the terminal fitting 20a and the terminal fitting 20c facing each other with the sensor element 10 interposed therebetween, and the terminal fitting 20b and the terminal fitting 20d facing each other with the sensor element 10 interposed therebetween correspond to "1 pair of terminal fittings", respectively (see fig. 4). That is, in the present embodiment, two pairs of terminal fittings 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d are provided in total.
Fig. 3 shows a rear view of the terminal fitting 20. A portion of the main surface 21a facing the through-hole 90h of the 1 st separator 90 (the inner circumferential surface of the 1 st separator 90) is defined as a 1 st facing surface F1, and the area of the 1 st facing surface F1 is defined as S1 (the hatched portion in fig. 3). Here, the lead connecting portion 23 is exposed toward the rear end side of the 1 st separator 90, and the area S1 is a region existing inside the 1 st separator 90 in the main surface 21 a. Therefore, the portion of the main surface 21a adjacent to the lead connection portion 23 is excluded from S1.
In addition, a portion of the sub-surface 22a facing the through-hole 90h (inner circumferential surface of the 1 st separator 90) is defined as a 2 nd facing surface F2, and an area of the 2 nd facing surface F2 is defined as S2 (hatched portion in fig. 3). Here, the area S2 is a portion of the sub-surface 22a that is present inside the 1 st separator 90 and overlaps the elastic portion 22c in the width direction. Therefore, the connection 22b between the minor surface 22a and the major surface 21a is excluded from S2.
Here, the area S1 is larger than the area S2. In addition, as shown in fig. 4, at least a part of the 2 nd opposing surface F2 is in contact with the through-hole 90h (the inner circumferential surface of the 1 st separator 90), and the 1 st opposing surface F1 is spaced apart from the through-hole 90h (the inner circumferential surface of the 1 st separator 90).
As described above, by bringing at least a part of the 2 nd opposing surface F2 into contact with the through hole 90h, when the elastic portion 22c opposing the 2 nd opposing surface F2 receives the reaction force F directed radially outward from the electrode pad 11a of the sensor element 10, the reaction force F can be firmly supported. As a result, the electrode pad 11a and the terminal fitting 20 can be electrically connected stably by maintaining the elastic force of the elastic portion 22 c.
Further, since the area S2 is smaller than the area S1, when a part or the entire area S2 is in contact with the through-hole 90h (the inner peripheral surface of the 1 st separator 90) or is closer to (the wall surface of) the through-hole 90h than the 1 st facing surface F1, the area of the 2 nd facing surface F2 which is likely to receive heat from the 1 st separator 90 is relatively small, and heat transfer from the 1 st separator 90 to the entire terminal fitting 20 can be reduced.
On the other hand, since the large-area 1 st facing surface F1 is spaced apart from the through-hole 90h (the inner circumferential surface of the 1 st separator 90), the 1 st facing surface F1 having a relatively large area compared to the 2 nd facing surface F2 is separated from (the wall surface of) the through-hole 90h, and the space between the 1 st separator 90 and the 1 st facing surface F1 can be thermally insulated by air. As a result, heat transfer from the 1 st separator 90 to the entire terminal fitting 20 can be reduced.
In this way, the elastic portion 22c of the terminal fitting 20 is prevented from being softened or deformed due to creep by heat transfer from the 1 st separator 90, and the electrode pad 11a of the sensor element 10 and the terminal fitting 20 can be reliably electrically connected.
In addition, as shown in fig. 4, in embodiment 1, the minimum interval d1 between the 1 st facing surface F1 and the through-hole 90h (the inner circumferential surface of the 1 st separator 90) is larger than the maximum interval d2 between the 2 nd facing surface F2 and the through-hole 90h (the inner circumferential surface of the 1 st separator 90). Thus, the 1 st facing surface F1 having a relatively large area compared to the 2 nd facing surface F2 can be reliably separated from the through-hole 90h than the 2 nd facing surface F2, and the 1 st partition 90 and the 1 st facing surface F1 can be thermally insulated from each other by air. As a result, the heat transfer from the 1 st separator 90 to the entire terminal fitting 20 can be further reduced.
As shown in fig. 4, in embodiment 1, a 1 st stepped portion 90e is formed between a portion of the through-hole 90h of the 1 st separator 90 that faces the main surface 21a and a portion that faces the sub-surface 22a such that the portion that faces the main surface 21a is located radially outward of the portion that faces the sub-surface 22 a.
On the other hand, the sub-surface 22a of the terminal fitting 20 is connected to the main surface 21a via the connecting portion 22b, and the main surface 21a is located radially outward of the sub-surface 22 a. The end surface of the main surface 21a in the width direction is engaged with the 1 st step portion 90e to position the terminal fitting 20. The connection portion 22b corresponds to the "2 nd step portion" in the claims.
As described above, by positioning the portion facing the main surface 21a radially outward of the portion facing the sub-surface 22a, the distance between the through-hole 90h and the main surface 21a can be further increased, and the heat transfer from the first separator 90 to the entire terminal fitting 20 can be further reduced by the above-described air heat insulating effect. Further, by using step 1 e as well as positioning of terminal fitting 20, it is not necessary to additionally provide positioning portion of terminal fitting 20 to 1 st separator 90, and productivity can be improved without complicating the shape of 1 st separator 90.
The terminal fitting 20 may be positioned by fitting the connecting portion 22b to the 1 st step portion 90e while the shape of the connecting portion 22b is along the 1 st step portion 90 e.
Next, a gas sensor according to embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 5 and 6. Since the gas sensor according to embodiment 2 of the present invention is the same as the gas sensor according to embodiment 1 except that the terminal fitting 30 has a different shape from the gas sensor according to embodiment 1, the same components as those of the gas sensor according to embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description is omitted.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the terminal fitting 30, and fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the terminal fitting 30 is inserted into the through hole 90h of the 1 st separator 90 and the terminal fitting 30 is held. Fig. 6 shows the same cross section as fig. 4.
As shown in fig. 5, the terminal fitting 30 integrally extends in the axis O direction and integrally has: a lead wire connection portion 33; a body portion 31 connected to the tip end side of the lead connecting portion 33; a protruding piece portion 32 protruding from the distal end side of the main body portion 31 in a direction intersecting the axis O direction; and an elastic portion 32c connected to the tip of the protruding piece portion 32, the elastic portion 32c being folded back toward the sensor element 10 and elastically connected to the electrode pad.
The main surface 31a is a surface of the body 31 located on the opposite side of the elastic portion 32c, and the sub-surface 32a is a surface of the protruding piece portion 32 located on the opposite side of the elastic portion 32 c.
The lead connection portion 33 is substantially the same as the lead connection portion 23 in embodiment 1.
The body 31 has an L-shaped cross section, and the guide portion 31b is formed by folding back an outer portion of one side (opposite side to the sub-surface 32 a) in the width direction of the main surface 31a by 90 degrees. A lead connecting portion 33 is connected to the rear end side of the main surface 31 a.
The outer portion of the other side (the side opposite to the guide portion 31 b) in the width direction of the main surface 31a is directly (without the connection portion 22b or the like) connected to the sub-surface 32a to form a single surface. The protruding piece portion 32 includes an elastic portion 32c, and the elastic portion 32c is folded back from the sub-surface 32a toward the sensor element 10 and is elastically connected to the electrode pad 11a (see fig. 1).
In addition, a boundary between the main surface 31a and the sub surface 32a is shown by a broken line in fig. 5.
As described above, since the main surface 31a and the sub-surface 32a are one surface, if the portion of the through-hole 90h facing the main surface 31a and the sub-surface 32a is one surface, it is not possible to bring at least a part of the 2 nd opposing surface F2 into contact with the through-hole 90h (the inner circumferential surface of the 1 st separator 90) and to space the 1 st opposing surface F1 from the through-hole 90h (the inner circumferential surface of the 1 st separator 90). Then, a portion of the through-hole 90h facing the main surface 31a is positioned radially outward of a portion facing the sub-surface 32 a.
Thereby, at least a part of the 2 nd opposing surface F2 can be brought into contact with the through-hole 90h (inner circumferential surface of the 1 st separator 90) and the 1 st opposing surface F1 can be spaced apart from the through-hole 90h (inner circumferential surface of the 1 st separator 90), and heat transfer from the 1 st separator 90 to the entire terminal fitting 30 can be reduced. Further, since the main surface 31a and the sub surface 32a are one surface, productivity can be improved without complicating the shape of the terminal fitting 30.
Further, if the main surface 31a and the sub-surface 32a are one surface, the distance between the through-hole 90h and the main surface 31a can be further increased, and the heat transfer from the 1 st separator 90 to the entire terminal fitting 30 can be further reduced, as compared with the case where the main surface 21a is located radially outward of the sub-surface 22a as in embodiment 1.
Next, a gas sensor according to embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 7 and 8. In addition, since the gas sensor according to embodiment 3 of the present invention is the same as the gas sensor according to embodiment 1 except that the shapes of the terminal fitting 40 and the 1 st separator 92 are different from those of the gas sensor according to embodiment 1, the same components as those of the gas sensor according to embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the terminal fitting 40, and fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the terminal fitting 40 is inserted into the through hole 92h of the 1 st separator 92 and the terminal fitting 40 is held. Fig. 8 shows a cross section similar to that of fig. 4.
As shown in fig. 7, the terminal fitting 40 integrally extends in the axis O direction and integrally has: a lead wire connection portion 43; a body portion 41 connected to the tip end side of the lead connecting portion 43; a protruding piece portion 42 having a sub-surface 42a continuous with the main surface 41a on the outer side in the width direction of the main surface 41 a; and an elastic portion 42c connected to the tip of the protruding piece portion 42, the elastic portion 42c being folded back toward the sensor element 10 and elastically connected to the electrode pad.
A surface of the main body 41 located on the opposite side of the elastic portion 42c is defined as a main surface 41a, and a surface of the protruding piece portion 42 located on the opposite side of the elastic portion 42c is defined as a sub surface 42 a.
The lead connecting portion 43 is substantially the same as the lead connecting portion 23 in embodiment 1.
The body 41 has an L-shaped cross section, and the guide portion 41b is formed by folding back an outer portion of one side (opposite side to the sub-surface 42 a) in the width direction of the main surface 41a by 90 degrees. A lead connecting portion 43 is connected to the rear end side of the main surface 41 a.
An outer portion of the other side (the side opposite to the guide portion 41 b) in the width direction of the main surface 41a is folded back toward the opposite direction to the guide portion 41b to form a connection portion 42b connected to a sub-surface 42a, the sub-surface 42a being parallel to the main surface 41 a. The protruding piece 42 includes an elastic portion 42c, and the elastic portion 42c is folded back from the sub-surface 42a toward the sensor element 10 and elastically connected to the electrode pad 11a (see fig. 1).
On the other hand, a portion of the through-hole 92h of the 1 st separator 92 facing the main surface 41a and a portion facing the sub-surface 42a are flush with each other.
In embodiment 3, by positioning the main surface 41a of the terminal fitting 40 radially inward of the sub-surface 42a, the distance between the through-hole 92h and the main surface 41a can be further increased, and heat transfer from the 1 st separator 92 to the entire terminal fitting 40 can be reduced. For example, even if the portion of the through-hole 92h of the 1 st separator 92 facing the main surface 41a and the portion facing the sub-surface 42a are formed as one surface, at least a part of the 2 nd opposing surface F2 can be brought into contact with the through-hole 92h (the inner circumferential surface of the 1 st separator 92) and the 1 st opposing surface F1 can be spaced apart from the through-hole 92h (the inner circumferential surface of the 1 st separator 92). In addition, since the portion of the through-hole 92h of the 1 st separator 92 facing the main surface 41a and the portion facing the sub-surface 42a are one surface, the productivity can be improved without complicating the shape of the through-hole 92 h.
Next, a method for manufacturing a gas sensor according to embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 10 to 13.
Fig. 10 is a plan view of a 1 st jig 300 used in the embodiment of the 1 st aspect, fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line a-a of fig. 10, fig. 12 is a view showing a state where the terminal fittings 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d are inserted into the separator (1 st separator) 90 housed in the 1 st jig 300, and fig. 13 is a process diagram of the method for manufacturing the gas sensor of the embodiment of the 1 st aspect.
As shown in fig. 10 and 11, the 1 st jig 300 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape and has a cylindrical housing space 300h opened toward the upper surface at the center. Further, a projecting portion 310 having a substantially H shape in a plan view projects upward from the center of the bottom surface 300b of the housing space 300H. The protrusion 310 is formed at a position corresponding to the through hole 90h in the center of the separator 90.
The protrusion 310 includes: a central prism portion 314; two planar portions 312 in the form of a plate, the two planar portions 312 extending from opposite surfaces of the prism portion 314 in opposite directions on the same surface; and two side wall portions 316 extending perpendicularly to the respective planar portions 312 from both ends of the respective planar portions 312, the two side wall portions 316 themselves being on the other opposing surfaces of the prism portion 314. The prism portion 314 and the side wall portion 316 protrude from the plate surface of the flat surface portion 312. The two flat surface portions 312 are formed at positions corresponding to the opposing surfaces of the contact portions 21p of 1 pair of the terminal metal pieces 20a, 20c and the opposing surfaces of the contact portions 21p of the other 1 pair of the terminal metal pieces 20b, 20d (see fig. 12). The protrusion 310 protrudes above the upper surface 302 of the 1 st jig 300.
Further, a part of the peripheral edge of the housing space 300h forms a straight portion 300s to prevent rotation in the circumferential direction of the spacer 90 described later.
The prism portion 314 and the side wall portion 316 correspond to a "terminal fitting regulating member", and the linear portion 300s corresponds to a "1 st regulating member".
The 1 st jig 300 and the protrusion 310 may be made of metal such as stainless steel.
As shown in fig. 12, in the terminal fitting holding step of the method for manufacturing a gas sensor according to the embodiment of the 1 st aspect, the terminal fittings 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d are inserted into the 4 terminal receiving holes 90a to 90d of the separator 90 housed in the 1 st jig 300, respectively, which will be described later in detail. At this time, since the prism portion 314 and the side wall portion 316 come into contact with the side surfaces (surfaces intersecting the surfaces of the elastic portions 22 c) of the terminal fittings 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d and the movement of the terminal fittings in the width direction is restricted, the displacement of the terminal fittings in the separator 90 (in the 1 st jig 300) can be prevented.
Next, a method for manufacturing a gas sensor according to embodiment 1 will be described in detail with reference to fig. 13. In fig. 13, only 1 pair of terminal metal pieces 20b and 20d are shown, but the same applies to the other 1 pair of terminal metal pieces 20a and 20c, which are merely hidden deep in the paper surface of fig. 13.
First, the spacer 90 is accommodated in the axial direction from the rear end side (upper side) of the 1 st jig 300, and the flat surface 312 is inserted into the through hole 90h of the spacer 90 at a position corresponding to the opposing surface (fig. 13 (a) and 13 (b): spacer accommodating step).
Next, the terminal fittings 20b and 20d are inserted into the through holes 90h from the rear end side of the separator 90 so that the flat surface 312 is spaced between the contact portions 21p (the opposing surface) and the terminal fittings 20b and 20d are held (fig. 13 b and 13 c, a terminal fitting holding step). Here, the lead 146 is crimped to the lead connecting portion 23 of the terminal fittings 20b and 20d in advance.
Next, the 1 st jig 300 is separated from the spacer 90 toward the tip (lower side) (fig. 13 (d): jig separation step).
As described above, in the embodiment of the 1 st aspect, when 1 or more pairs of terminal fittings 20a, 20c (or 20b, 20d) are attached to the separator 90 such that the contact portions 21p face each other, the flat surface portions 312 of the 1 st jig 300 are spaced apart from each other by the contact portions 21p, so that the terminal fittings 20a, 20c (or 20b, 20d) facing each other can be prevented from coming into contact with each other and becoming entangled with each other, and damage and deformation of the terminal fittings can be prevented, thereby improving the operability.
In the present embodiment, in the spacer storing step of fig. 13 (b), when the spacer 90 is stored in the 1 st jig 300, the flat surface portion 312 protrudes to the rear end side of the rear end of the spacer 90. Accordingly, in the subsequent terminal fitting holding step, the terminal fittings (the contact portions 21 p) facing each other are separated by the flat surface portion 312 at the beginning of insertion of the through hole 90h from the terminal fittings 20a and 20c (or 20b and 20d), and therefore, the terminal fittings can be reliably prevented from coming into contact with each other and becoming entangled with each other.
As shown in fig. 10 and 12, in the present embodiment, the 1 st jig 300 has a linear portion 300s, and the spacer 90 has a 2 nd linear portion (2 nd regulating member) 90t engageable with the linear portion 300 s. This prevents the spacer 90 from rotating in the circumferential direction in the 1 st jig 300, and prevents the terminal fittings from coming into contact with each other and from being entangled with each other due to the rotation of the spacer 90.
In the present embodiment, the thickness of the planar portion 312 is smaller than the thickness of the sensor element 10 at a portion between the 1 pair of electrode pads 11a and 12a (or 11b and 12b) on the front and rear surfaces. This can suppress the occurrence of: the flat portion 312 expands the interval between the opposing terminal fittings (the contact portions 21 p) and plastically deforms the terminal fittings, and then the contact pressure between the terminal fittings and the electrode pads 11a, 12a (or 11b, 12b) of the sensor element 10 is reduced, resulting in a reduction in the reliability of the electrical connection.
Next, a method for manufacturing a gas sensor according to embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 14 to 18.
Fig. 14 is a plan view of a 2 nd jig 400 used in the embodiment of the 2 nd aspect, fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of fig. 14, fig. 16 is a view showing a state where the terminal fittings 20a, 20B, 20c, and 20d are housed in the 2 nd jig 400, fig. 17 is a process diagram of the method for manufacturing the gas sensor of the embodiment of the 2 nd aspect, and fig. 18 is a view showing a state where the terminal fittings 20a to 20d are offset in the arrangement direction with respect to the plane portion 412.
As shown in fig. 14 and 15, the 2 nd jig 400 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape and has a cylindrical housing space 400h opened toward the upper surface at the center. Further, a plate-shaped flat surface portion 412 protrudes upward from the center of the bottom surface 400b of the housing space 400 h. The flat portion 412 is formed at a position corresponding to the through hole 90h in the center of the spacer 90. The flat surface portion 412 is formed at least at a position corresponding to the opposing surface of the contact portions 21p of 1 pair of the terminal metal pieces 20a and 20c and the opposing surface of the contact portions 21p of the other 1 pair of the terminal metal pieces 20b and 20d (see fig. 16).
The flat part 412 protrudes above the upper surface 402 of the 2 nd jig 400.
Further, a part of the peripheral edge of the housing space 400h forms a linear portion 400s, similarly to the linear portion 300s, and the linear portion 400s serves as a "1 st restricting member" that prevents the spacer 90 from rotating in the circumferential direction. The spacer 90 is also similarly provided with the 2 nd linear portion (2 nd regulating member) 90t described above.
The 2 nd jig 400 and the plane portion 412 can be made of metal such as stainless steel, for example.
As shown in fig. 16, in the terminal fitting housing step of the method for manufacturing a gas sensor according to the embodiment of the 2 nd aspect, the terminal fittings 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d are inserted into the housing spaces 400h of the 2 nd jig 400, respectively, which will be described later in detail. At this time, the flat portion 412 is inserted between the facing surfaces of the contact portions 21p of the terminal fittings 20a to 20 d.
Here, as shown in fig. 16, the terminal fittings 20a and 20b are arranged along the main surface direction L of the planar portion 412, and the terminal fittings 20c and 20d are similarly arranged on the opposite surface of the planar portion 412. The width of the portion of each of the terminal fittings 20a to 20d at the contact portion 21p is W1, and the width of the main surface of the planar portion 412 is W2.
At this time, as shown in fig. 18, if the total width (2 × W1) < W2 in the arrangement direction (arrangement direction) L of the terminal fittings 20c and 20d (or 20a and 20b), even if the terminal fittings 20c and 20d are displaced along the arrangement direction L, the terminal fittings 20c and 20d can be reliably prevented from coming into contact with the opposing terminal fittings 20a and 20b on the opposite side across the flat surface portion 412 and becoming entangled with each other.
As shown in the lower diagram of fig. 16, when the maximum width of the through-holes 90h of the spacer 90 in the arrangement direction L is W3, formula 1 is satisfied: when GL + GR is W3-W2, GL < W1, and GR < W1, even if the terminal fittings 20c and 20d are displaced in the arrangement direction L, the terminal fittings 20c and 20d are reliably prevented from coming into contact with the opposing terminal fittings 20a and 20b on the opposite side across the flat surface portion 412 and from being entangled with each other. This is because GL and GR in expression 1 indicate gaps between both ends (right and left sides) of the plane portion 412 and both ends (right and left sides) of the through-hole 90h, and if the gaps GL and GR are smaller than W1, the terminal fittings 20c and 20d cannot enter the opposite surface of the plane portion 412. Although the width of each of the terminal fittings 20c and 20d is W1, the width of each of the gaps GL and GR may be smaller than the width of the terminal closest to the gap GL or GR when the width of the terminal fittings is different.
Next, a method for manufacturing a gas sensor according to embodiment 2 will be described in detail with reference to fig. 17. In fig. 17, only 1 pair of terminal metal pieces 20b and 20d are shown, but the same applies to the other 1 pair of terminal metal pieces 20a and 20c, which are merely hidden deep in the paper surface of fig. 17.
First, the lead 146 connected to each of the terminal fittings 20b and 20d is inserted through the through-hole 90h of the separator 90 and protrudes from the distal end side of the through-hole 90h (lead insertion step). Next, the lead connecting portions 23 of the terminal fittings 20b, 20d are respectively pressure-bonded (electrically connected) to the tips of the leads 146 (fig. 17 (a): terminal fitting connecting step).
Next, the terminal fittings 20b and 20d are accommodated in the accommodating space 400h from the rear end side of the second jig 400, and the flat surface portion is inserted (separated) between the contact point portions 21p, in the same manner as the holding positions of the terminal fittings 20b and 20d in the separator 90 (fig. 17 (b): terminal fitting accommodating step).
Next, while pulling the lead 146 toward the rear end side, the tip of the spacer 90 is brought into contact with the rear end (upper surface) 402 of the 2 nd jig 400 (fig. 17 (c): spacer contact step). As shown in fig. 17 (c), the inner diameter D1 of the housing space 400h is equal to or smaller than the maximum outer diameter D2 of the distal end portion of the spacer 90.
Next, the terminal fittings 20b and 20d are inserted into the through-holes 90h from the tip ends of the through-holes 90h of the separator 90 abutting on the rear end of the 2 nd jig 400, and the terminal fittings 20b and 20d are held (fig. 17 (d): terminal fitting holding step).
Next, the 2 nd jig 400 is separated from the spacer 90 toward the tip (lower side) (fig. 17 (e): jig separation step).
As described above, in the embodiment of claim 2, when 1 or more pairs of terminal fittings 20a, 20c (or 20b, 20d) are attached to the separator 90 so that the contact portions 21p face each other, the contact portions 21p are separated by the flat surface portions 412 of the 2 nd jig 400, so that the terminal fittings 20a, 20c (or 20b, 20d) facing each other can be prevented from coming into contact with each other and from getting entangled with each other, and damage and deformation of the terminal fittings can be prevented, thereby improving the workability.
In the present embodiment, in the spacer contacting step in fig. 17 (d), the flat surface portion 412 protrudes to the rear end side of the contact portion. Thus, when each terminal fitting is held in the through-hole 90h of the separator 90, the terminal fittings (the contact portions 21 p) facing each other are separated by the flat portions 412, and therefore, the terminal fittings can be reliably prevented from coming into contact with each other and being entangled with each other.
In addition, in the present embodiment, as described above, the spacer 90 can be prevented from rotating in the circumferential direction in the 2 nd jig 400, and the terminal fittings can be prevented from coming into contact with each other and being entangled with each other due to the rotation of the spacer 90.
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and naturally includes various modifications and equivalents included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.
For example, the shapes of the terminal metal fitting and the through hole of the 1 st separator are not limited to those of the above embodiments.
Further, as the gas sensor, in addition to the oxygen sensor and the all-area gas sensor, NO can be citedXA sensor.
In the above embodiment, the lead is directly connected (crimped) to the lead connecting portion 23 of the terminal fitting 20, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be configured as follows: the lead wire is directly connected to another component by crimping or the like, and the other component is connected to the rear end side of the terminal metal fitting 20 by insertion or the like. In this case, the connection portion of the terminal fitting 20 connected to another component corresponds to a "lead connection portion", and the lead connection portion is indirectly connected to a lead via another component.
The shape of the 1 st jig or the 2 nd jig, the separator, and the terminal metal fitting is not limited. In addition, the terminal metal fittings may be 1 pair, or two or more pairs.
Further, as the 1 st restricting member for preventing the spacer from rotating in the circumferential direction, a pin for positioning may be provided in a part of the distal end surface of the spacer or the terminal accommodating space of the spacer, or a plurality of the 1 st restricting members may be provided.
Claims (8)
1. A gas sensor, comprising:
a sensor element formed in a plate shape extending in an axial direction, the sensor element having an electrode pad on an outer surface on a rear end side;
a terminal metal member extending in the axial direction and electrically connected to the electrode pad;
a separator having a cylindrical shape, having a through hole for holding the terminal metal fitting, and surrounding a rear end side portion of the sensor element; and
a lead wire connected to a rear end side portion of the terminal metal fitting and led out to a rear end side of the separator,
the terminal metal member includes: a lead wire connection portion connected to the lead wire; a main body portion connected to a tip end side of the lead connecting portion and extending in the axial direction; a protruding piece portion protruding from a distal end side of the main body portion in a direction intersecting the axial direction; and an elastic part connected to a tip end of the protruding piece part, the elastic part being folded back toward the sensor element and elastically connected to the electrode pad,
a surface of the main body portion on a side opposite to the side where the elastic portion is located is defined as a main surface, a surface of the protruding piece portion on a side opposite to the side where the elastic portion is located is defined as a sub surface,
and, a portion of the main surface facing the through-hole of the separator is defined as a 1 st facing surface, and a portion of the sub-surface facing the through-hole is defined as a 2 nd facing surface,
the 1 st opposing face has an area S1 greater than the 2 nd opposing face area S2,
at least a portion of the 2 nd opposing surface is in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the separator, the inner circumferential surface forming the through-hole, and the 1 st opposing surface is spaced apart from the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole.
2. The gas sensor according to claim 1,
the minimum interval d1 between the 1 st facing surface and the penetrating hole is greater than the maximum interval d2 between the 2 nd facing surface and the penetrating hole.
3. The gas sensor according to claim 1 or 2,
a portion of the through-hole that faces the main surface is located radially outward of a portion of the through-hole that faces the sub-surface.
4. The gas sensor according to claim 1 or 2,
the main surface of the terminal metal fitting is located radially inward of the sub surface.
5. The gas sensor according to claim 3,
the main surface of the terminal metal fitting is located radially inward of the sub surface.
6. The gas sensor according to claim 3,
a 1 st step portion is formed between a portion of the through-hole which faces the main surface and a portion which faces the sub-surface,
the minor surface of the terminal metal fitting is connected to the major surface via a 2 nd step portion, and the major surface is located radially outward of the minor surface,
the main surface or the 2 nd step portion is locked to the 1 st step portion to position the terminal metal fitting.
7. A method for manufacturing a gas sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sensor element has 1 pair of the electrode pads or two or more pairs of the electrode pads on a front surface and a back surface, and 1 pair of the terminal fittings or two or more pairs of the terminal fittings each having a contact portion on each of the elastic portions are held in through holes of the separator so that the contact portions face each other, and the contact portions are electrically connected to the electrode pads through the sensor element, the method comprising:
a spacer housing step of using a 1 st jig, the 1 st jig having a housing space for housing the spacer along the axis direction, wherein when the spacer and the terminal fitting are housed in the housing space, a planar portion of a predetermined thickness disposed at a position corresponding to a facing surface of the contact portions is provided upright from a bottom surface of the housing space along a rear end side portion of the spacer, the spacer is housed from a rear end side of the 1 st jig, and the planar portion is inserted into a position corresponding to the facing surface in the through hole of the spacer;
a terminal fitting holding step of inserting each of the terminal fittings into the through-hole from a rear end side of the separator so as to hold the terminal fitting with the flat surface portion interposed therebetween; and
and a jig detaching step of detaching the 1 st jig from the separator toward a tip end side.
8. A method for manufacturing a gas sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sensor element has 1 pair of the electrode pads or two or more pairs of the electrode pads on a front surface and a back surface, and 1 pair of the terminal fittings or two or more pairs of the terminal fittings each having a contact portion on each of the elastic portions are held in through holes of the separator so that the contact portions face each other, and the contact portions are electrically connected to the electrode pads through the sensor element, the method comprising:
a lead wire insertion step of inserting a lead wire connectable to each of the terminal fittings through the through-hole of the separator and protruding from a tip end side of the through-hole;
a terminal metal fitting connection step of electrically connecting the terminal metal fittings to the tip ends of the leads, respectively;
a terminal metal fitting housing step of using a 2 nd jig having a housing space capable of housing the terminal metal fitting in the axial direction so as to be the same as a holding position of the terminal metal fitting in the separator, wherein when the terminal metal fitting is housed in the housing space, a flat surface portion of a predetermined thickness disposed at a position corresponding to a surface where the contact portions face each other is provided upright in the axial direction from a bottom surface of the housing space, an inner diameter of the housing space is smaller than or equal to a maximum outer diameter of a tip portion of the separator, and the terminal metal fitting is housed from a rear end side of the 2 nd jig so as to be spaced apart from the flat surface portion between the contact portions;
a spacer abutting step of abutting a tip end of the spacer against a rear end of the 2 nd jig while pulling the lead to a rear end side;
a terminal metal fitting holding step of inserting the terminal metal fitting into the through hole from a tip end side of the through hole of the separator abutting against a rear end of the 2 nd jig and holding the terminal metal fitting; and
and a jig detaching step of detaching the 2 nd jig from the spacer toward the tip end side.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP2016135100 | 2016-07-07 | ||
| JP2017-128370 | 2017-06-30 | ||
| JP2017128370A JP6802117B2 (en) | 2016-07-07 | 2017-06-30 | Gas sensor and gas sensor manufacturing method |
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| CN109211998A CN109211998A (en) | 2019-01-15 |
| CN109211998B true CN109211998B (en) | 2021-08-24 |
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| CN201810011068.8A Active CN109211998B (en) | 2016-07-07 | 2018-01-05 | Gas sensor and method for manufacturing gas sensor |
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| JP2018013474A (en) | 2018-01-25 |
| CN109211998A (en) | 2019-01-15 |
| JP6802117B2 (en) | 2020-12-16 |
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