JP2008197085A - Sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sensor with an insulating separator having an element arranging section, which can easily arrange a metal terminal member on its suitable position. <P>SOLUTION: In the insulating separator 82, a partition 187, by which each lead frame 10 is insulated from one another, is not formed on an outside separator 183 having an element through-hole 84, but formed on an inside separator 185 disposed as a member other than the outside separator 183. In a stage prior to inserting the lead frame 10 (first lead frame 211) into the element through-hole 84, the insulating separator 82 is used, and the lead frame 10 is arranged with respect to the inside separator 185 being a portion of the insulating separator 82, whereby a relative position between the inside separator 185 and the lead frame 10 can be set in a directly and visually recognizable state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention includes a detection element having a plate shape extending in the axial direction and having an electrode terminal portion formed on the rear end side, a plurality of metal terminal members connected to the electrode terminal portion of the detection element, a detection element, and a metal The present invention relates to a sensor comprising an insulating separator made of an insulating material having an element arrangement portion that surrounds at least a part of a terminal member, and contacting an electrode terminal portion of a detection element with a metal terminal member.

As a conventional sensor, a sensor including a detection element, a metal terminal member, and an insulating separator is known.
The insulating separator has an element arrangement portion that surrounds at least a part of the detection element and the metal terminal member, and is configured to contact the electrode terminal portion of the detection element and the metal terminal member inside the element arrangement portion. Has been.

When arranging a plurality of metal terminal members in the element arrangement portion, a boundary portion (87, 89) for insulating the metal terminal members inside the element arrangement portion of the insulating separator so that the metal terminal members do not contact each other. Have been proposed (see Patent Document 1).
International Publication No. 2005/029057 pamphlet (see FIGS. 1, 4 and 5)

  However, when the number of metal terminal members increases with the increase in functionality of the detection element, the arrangement area per one metal terminal member in the element arrangement portion of the insulating separator becomes narrow, so a plurality of metal terminal members are arranged in the element arrangement portion. There is a possibility that it cannot be properly arranged.

  In other words, since the element placement portion of the insulating separator is formed inside the insulation separator and is a narrow region, it is difficult to directly observe the internal state of the element placement portion. It is not easy to confirm whether or not the metal terminal members are properly arranged.

  Further, in the case where the element arrangement portion is formed as “an element insertion hole penetrating in the axial direction”, when the metal terminal member is inserted and arranged, the metal terminal member already arranged in the element arrangement portion (element insertion hole) In some cases, the metal terminal member to be inserted later becomes an obstacle to the insertion work, and this problem becomes more remarkable as the number of metal terminal members increases.

  For these reasons, when the number of metal terminal members increases, the possibility that the metal terminal members are arranged at inappropriate positions in the element arrangement portion of the insulating separator increases. If the metal terminal member is disposed at an inappropriate position, the connection between the metal terminal member and the detection element (specifically, the electrode terminal portion) becomes defective, and the signal (sensor signal) detected by the detection element May not be output properly to external devices.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a sensor that can easily arrange a metal terminal member at an appropriate position in a sensor including an insulating separator having an element arrangement portion.

  In order to achieve this object, the invention according to claim 1 has a plate shape extending in the axial direction, the front end is directed to the measurement object, and at least one of the front and back surfaces on the rear end side. A detection element having a plurality of electrode terminal portions formed on the plate surface, a plurality of metal terminal members electrically connected to an external device and connected to the electrode terminal portion of the detection element, and a detection element And an insulating separator made of an insulating material having an element arrangement portion surrounding at least a part of the metal terminal member, and contacting the electrode terminal portion of the detection element and the metal terminal member inside the element arrangement portion. The insulating separator is disposed on the radially inner side of the outer separator and at least a part of the outer separator that surrounds the electrode terminal portion of the detection element and the metal terminal member. It and a inner separator having a partition wall for insulating from each other the plurality of metallic terminal members with positioning the genus terminal member, a sensor characterized by.

This sensor is characterized in that the insulating separator is not composed of a single member but is composed of a plurality of members such as an outer separator and an inner separator.
In other words, this insulating separator is not configured to include a partition wall fixed inside the element placement portion, but is configured to have a partition wall formed on an inner separator that is a member different from the outer separator having the element placement portion. .

  By using such an insulating separator, for the metal terminal member that is difficult to be positioned in the element placement portion, the metal terminal member is placed in the element placement portion of the outer separator together with the inner separator, so A metal terminal member can be disposed at the position.

  That is, in the stage before placing the metal terminal member on the element placement portion, the inner terminal and the metal terminal member can be directly viewed by placing the metal terminal member on the inner separator that is a part of the insulating separator. The relative position can be set. By being directly visible in this way, the relative position between the inner separator and the metal terminal member can be easily set at a specific position.

  As a result, when the metal terminal member is arranged in the element arrangement portion of the outer separator together with the inner separator, the relative position between the inner separator and the outer separator can be easily set to a specific position, and the element of the insulating separator (outer separator) The positioning operation of the metal terminal member in the arrangement portion is facilitated.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, even in a sensor including an insulating separator having an element arrangement portion, the metal terminal member can be easily arranged at an appropriate position when the metal terminal member is arranged with respect to the element arrangement portion. It becomes.

  In addition, it is not restricted to the form arrange | positioned in the element arrangement | positioning part of an outer side separator after arrange | positioning all of several metal terminal members in an inner side separator, and some things are among inner side separators among several metal terminal members. It is also possible to place the metal terminal member in the element placement portion and then place the remaining metal terminal member in the element placement portion.

  Further, the electrode terminal portions formed on the front surface and the back surface of the detection element are not limited to those formed on the front surface and the back surface, and a plurality of front surfaces (or back surfaces) are formed, and the back surface (or front surface) is formed. A single form may be formed.

  Furthermore, the outer separator is not limited to an embodiment formed of a single member, and may be an embodiment including a plurality of members that sandwich the detection element and the metal terminal member. In addition, when providing a several member, the aspect by which an element arrangement | positioning part is formed between several members can be taken.

  For example, in the above-described sensor, as described in claim 2, the outer separator is formed as a cylindrical member, and has an element insertion hole penetrating in the axial direction as an element arrangement portion. Can be configured such that at least a portion thereof is disposed inside the element insertion hole.

  In other words, even when the outer separator is formed of a single member and an outer separator having an element insertion hole is used as the element arrangement portion, the metal terminal member that is difficult to position in the element arrangement portion (element insertion hole) is used. By arranging the metal terminal member in the element arrangement portion (element insertion hole) of the outer separator together with the inner separator, the metal terminal member can be arranged at an appropriate position of the element arrangement portion (element insertion hole).

  Next, in the above-described sensor, as described in claim 3, at least one of the plurality of metal terminal members includes a protruding portion protruding in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the partition wall protrudes. The configuration in which the metal terminal member is positioned in the axial direction can be adopted by contacting the portion.

  The metal terminal member is provided with a protruding portion, and the metal terminal member is positioned in the axial direction (rear end) by adopting a configuration in which the partition of the inner separator abuts the protruding portion to position the metal terminal member in the axial direction. When moving in the direction or the tip direction), the partition wall can come into contact with the protruding portion of the metal terminal member to limit the movement range of the metal terminal member.

  This facilitates the positioning of the metal terminal member in the axial direction with respect to the inner separator, and can suppress the occurrence of a shift in the relative position between the metal terminal member and the inner separator in the axial direction.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, in arranging the metal terminal member with respect to the element arrangement portion (element insertion hole) of the insulating separator, the relative positioning work between the inner separator and the metal terminal member is reduced. Therefore, the metal terminal member can be easily disposed at an appropriate position.

In addition, the protrusion part with which a metal terminal member is equipped may be single, and plural may be sufficient as it.
Next, in the above-described sensor, as described in claim 4, when the portion surrounded by the insulating separator in the metal terminal member is set as the surrounding region, the projecting portion is more than the central position in the axial direction of the surrounding region. The structure of being formed at the tip side can be taken.

By using the metal terminal member in which the position for forming the protruding portion is specified in this manner, the protruding portion and the partition wall are brought into contact with each other, so that positioning of the tip side in the surrounding region of the metal terminal member is facilitated.
When an outer separator having an element insertion hole is used as the element arrangement portion, the detection element is arranged in the element arrangement portion (element insertion hole) after the metal terminal member is arranged in the element arrangement portion (element insertion hole) together with the inner separator. There is a case where the insertion work is performed from the front end side of the. In such a case, even if an external force is applied to the metal terminal member due to the insertion operation of the detection element by using the metal terminal member in which the protruding portion is formed on the tip side of the center position in the axial direction of the surrounding region. It is possible to suppress the metal terminal member from moving to an inappropriate position.

  Next, in the above-described sensor, as described in claim 5, at least one of the plurality of metal terminal members includes a tip engagement portion that engages with the tip surface of the insulating separator. be able to.

  As described above, since the metal terminal member includes the tip engaging portion, the relative position between the tip surface of the insulating separator and the metal terminal member can be easily determined, and the metal terminal member and the insulating separator can be easily positioned in the axial direction. It becomes. In particular, when the metal terminal member is arranged with respect to the element arrangement portion of the insulating separator, the metal terminal member is arranged so that the front end engaging portion abuts on the front end surface of the insulating separator. The arrangement position of the terminal member can be easily set to a specific position.

  Further, since the front end engaging portion of the metal terminal member engages with the front end surface of the insulating separator, even if a special component (such as a protruding partition wall) is not provided for the insulating separator. There is an advantage that the relative position between the metal terminal member and the insulating separator can be determined.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, when the metal terminal member is arranged with respect to the element arrangement portion of the insulating separator, the tip engagement portion determines whether or not the arrangement position of the metal terminal member with respect to the element arrangement portion is appropriate. Therefore, the relative positioning work between the insulating separator and the metal terminal member is further facilitated.

  Note that the portion of the front end surface of the insulating separator that is engaged with the front end engaging portion of the metal terminal member may be either the front end surface of the outer separator or the front end surface of the inner separator, or the outer separator and the inner separator. Both of the front end surfaces may be used.

  Next, in the above-described sensor, as described in claim 6, at least one of the plurality of metal terminal members includes an elongated frame main body extending in the axial direction and a front end side of the frame main body. And an element abutting portion at least a part of which is disposed between the frame main body portion and the detection element and abuts against the electrode terminal portion of the detection element. It is possible to adopt a configuration in which a plate-shaped plate-like main body portion that comes into contact with the plate body is provided.

  That is, the inner separator has a plate-like main body portion, so that even in the metal terminal member having the frame main body portion and the element abutting portion, the metal terminal for the inner separator is in a stage before the metal terminal member is arranged in the element arrangement portion. The arrangement position of the member can be easily set to a specific position. Thereby, the positioning operation of the metal terminal member in the element arrangement portion of the insulating separator is facilitated.

  Next, in the above-described sensor including the metal terminal member having the frame main body portion and the element abutting portion, the element abutting portion is connected to the tip of the frame main body portion. It is possible to adopt a configuration in which at least a part of the connecting portion is elastically deformed when an external force is applied by the detection element.

  The metal terminal member having such a connecting portion securely contacts the detecting element by elastically deforming the connecting portion when the detecting element is arranged with respect to the element arranging portion in which the metal terminal member is arranged. Since it can contact, a contact state with a detection element becomes favorable.

  Further, even when an outer separator having an element insertion hole is used as the element arrangement portion, the metal terminal member having such a connection portion is compared with the element arrangement portion (element insertion hole) in which the metal terminal member is arranged. Thus, when the detection element is inserted, the external force generated by the detection element can be absorbed by the elastic deformation of the connecting portion. Thereby, when inserting a detection element with respect to an element arrangement | positioning part (element insertion hole), it can prevent that the arrangement position of a metal terminal member moves by the external force from a detection element.

  Next, in the above-described sensor, as described in claim 8, the outer separator includes a concave portion for arranging the plate-like main body portion of the inner separator in the element arrangement portion, and the plate-like shape of the inner separator is provided. The main body portion can be configured to be disposed in the recess by sliding from the front end side of the outer separator toward the rear end side along the inner surface of the element arrangement portion.

  By providing the outer separator with the recess, when the inner separator is arranged in the element arrangement portion of the outer separator, the arrangement position of the inner separator in the element arrangement portion can be easily determined. By using the outer separator having such a configuration, the positioning operation of the metal terminal member in the element placement portion of the insulating separator becomes easier.

  Further, even when an outer separator having an element insertion hole is used as the element arrangement portion, the inner separator is inserted (slided) into the element arrangement portion (element insertion hole) of the outer separator by providing the outer separator with a recess. Therefore, the arrangement position of the inner separator in the element arrangement portion (element insertion hole) can be easily determined.

  Next, in the above-described sensor including the outer separator having the concave portion, as described in claim 9, the outer separator contacts the plate-like main body portion of the inner separator on the rear end side of the concave portion. It is possible to adopt a configuration including a position determining unit that performs positioning in the axial direction of the inner separator inside the arrangement unit.

In other words, the outer separator can limit the sliding range (specifically, the sliding range in the rear end direction) of the inner separator inside the element placement unit by including the position determining unit.
And the formation position of the position determination part is determined so that the arrangement position of the inner separator in the element arrangement part becomes the target position, and when the inner separator is arranged in the element arrangement part, the inner separator (plate-shaped main body part) By bringing the rear facing surface into contact with the position determining portion, the positioning work when the inner separator is disposed in the element arranging portion is facilitated.

  As described above, the positioning work when placing the inner separator in the element placement portion is facilitated, so that the complexity of the positioning work when placing the metal terminal member and the inner separator in the element placement portion can be reduced. The positioning operation of the metal terminal member in the portion becomes easy.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the metal terminal member can be easily arranged at an appropriate position when the metal terminal member is arranged with respect to the element arrangement portion of the insulating separator.
In addition, a back facing surface is a surface which goes to a back side, for example, can mention the last end part of an inner side separator. However, the rear facing surface of the inner separator in the present invention is not limited to the rearmost end portion of the inner separator. For example, a protrusion is formed on the front end side of the inner separator, and the rear side of the protrusion is on the rear side. It is also possible to use the facing surface as a rear facing surface.

  In addition, the sensor in which the position determination portion of the outer separator and the partition wall of the inner separator are formed together has the advantage that the relative position in the axial direction can be more easily determined with respect to the metal terminal member, the inner separator, and the outer separator. is there.

  Next, in the above-described sensor, as described in claim 10, two electrode terminal portions adjacent to each other on the same surface of the detection element among the plurality of electrode terminal portions have different formation positions in the axial direction. The plurality of metal terminal members can be configured to be arranged at positions connected to the electrode terminal portions to be connected.

  With such a configuration, a large distance can be secured between two adjacent electrode terminal portions, and the distance between the two metal terminal members can also be achieved with respect to the two metal terminal members connected to the two electrode terminal portions. Can be secured. Thereby, insulation between two adjacent electrode terminal portions can be secured, and insulation between two metal terminal members connected to these electrode terminal portions can be secured.

In the sensor having such a configuration, the arrangement positions of the plurality of metal terminal members in the respective axial directions are determined according to the formation positions of the electrode terminal portions to be connected.
By the way, the number of inner separators provided in one insulating separator is not limited to one, and a plurality of inner separators may be provided in one insulating separator.

  Therefore, in the above-described sensor, as described in claim 11, the detection element has a plurality of electrode terminal portions formed on the front surface and the back surface on the rear end side, and a pair of inner separators are provided. It is possible to adopt a configuration in which they are respectively arranged on the front surface and the back surface of the detection element.

  As described above, when a plurality of electrode terminal portions are formed on the front surface and the back surface of the detection element, respectively, by providing a pair of inner separators, arrangement is easy on each of the front surface and the back surface of the plate surface of the detection element. Even when there is a metal terminal member that is not, the metal terminal member can be appropriately disposed on each of the front surface and the back surface of the detection element.

  And in the above-mentioned sensor provided with the detection element in which a plurality of electrode terminal parts are formed in the surface and the back, respectively, as described in claim 12, it forms in the surface of a detection element among a plurality of electrode terminal parts. The electrode terminal portion formed on the back surface of the detection element and the electrode terminal portion formed on the back surface of the detection element can be arranged symmetrically with respect to the detection element.

  As described above, when the plurality of electrode terminal portions are arranged in plane symmetry on the front and back surfaces of the detection element, the plurality of metal terminal members are also arranged in plane symmetry. As a result, the distribution state of the pressure applied from the plurality of metal terminal members to the detection element is substantially the same on the front surface and the back surface of the detection element.

  As a result, the contact state between the plurality of metal terminal members and the detection element can be prevented from becoming uneven between the front surface and the back surface of the detection element, and the contact state between the metal terminal member and the electrode terminal portion is improved. can do.

  Next, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention according to claim 13 has a plate shape extending in the axial direction, the front end side is directed to the measurement object, and at least the rear end side surface or back surface A detection element having a plurality of electrode terminal portions formed on any one plate surface, and a plurality of metal terminal members that are electrically connected to an external device and connected to the electrode terminal portion of the detection element; And an insulating separator made of an insulating material having an element arrangement portion surrounding at least a part of the detection element and the metal terminal member, and contacting the electrode terminal portion of the detection element and the metal terminal member inside the element arrangement portion. In the sensor, at least one of the plurality of metal terminal members has an elongated frame main body extending in the axial direction, and extends from the distal end side of the frame main body. A part of which is disposed between the frame main body part and the detection element and is in contact with the electrode terminal part of the detection element, and the element contact part is provided at the tip of the frame main body part. A connecting portion to be connected; and at least a part of the connecting portion is configured to be elastically deformed when an external force is applied by the detection element, and is adjacent to the same surface of the detection element among the plurality of electrode terminal portions. The two electrode terminal portions have different formation positions in the axial direction, and the arrangement positions of the plurality of metal terminal members in the axial direction are determined according to the formation positions of the electrode terminal portions to be connected, It is a sensor characterized by this.

  In the sensor having such a configuration, it is possible to ensure a large distance between two adjacent electrode terminal portions, and for two metal terminal members connected to these two electrode terminal portions, A large distance can be secured. Thereby, insulation between two adjacent electrode terminal portions can be secured, and insulation between two metal terminal members connected to these electrode terminal portions can be secured.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, in a sensor including an insulating separator having an element arrangement portion, two adjacent metal terminal members can be arranged in a state of ensuring insulation from each other. Can be placed in position.

  The electrode terminal portions formed on the front surface and the back surface of the detection element are not limited to those formed on the front surface and the back surface, and a plurality of front surfaces (or back surfaces) are formed, and the back surface (or front surface) is formed. A single form may be formed.

  Next, in the above-described sensor (claim 13), as described in claim 14, the detection element has a plurality of electrode terminal portions formed on the front surface and the back surface on the rear end side. Of the terminal portions, the electrode terminal portion formed on the surface of the detection element and the electrode terminal portion formed on the back surface of the detection element can be configured to be arranged symmetrically with respect to the detection element.

  As described above, when the plurality of electrode terminal portions are arranged in plane symmetry on the front and back surfaces of the detection element, the plurality of metal terminal members are also arranged in plane symmetry. As a result, the distribution state of the pressure applied from the plurality of metal terminal members to the detection element is substantially the same on the front surface and the back surface of the detection element.

  As a result, the contact state between the plurality of metal terminal members and the detection element can be prevented from becoming uneven between the front surface and the back surface of the detection element, and the contact state between the metal terminal member and the electrode terminal portion is improved. can do.

Embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In the present embodiment, a NOx sensor 2 that is a kind of gas sensor will be described. The NOx sensor 2 is mounted with a detection element (gas sensor element) for detecting a specific gas in exhaust gas to be measured and mounted on an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the NOx sensor 2.
The NOx sensor 2 includes a cylindrical metal shell 102 having a screw portion 103 formed on the outer surface for fixing to an exhaust pipe, a detection element 4 having a plate shape extending in the axial direction (vertical direction in the figure), A cylindrical ceramic sleeve 6 disposed so as to surround the periphery of the detection element 4 in the radial direction, an insulating separator 82 having an element insertion hole 84 penetrating in the axial direction, and six lead frames connected to the detection element 4 10 (only a part of which is shown in FIG. 1).

  The detection element 4 has a plate-like shape extending in the axial direction, and a detection portion 8 covered with a protective layer (not shown) is formed on the front end side (downward in the drawing) directed to the gas to be measured, and the rear end Electrode terminal portions 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, and 36 are formed on the first plate surface 21 and the second plate surface 23, which are front and back, of the outer surface on the side (upper side in the drawing).

The insulating separator 82 is made of an insulating material and includes an element insertion hole 84 as an element arrangement portion that surrounds at least a part of the detection element 4 and the lead frame 10.
The insulating separator 82 holds the lead frame 10 and the detection element 4 inside the element insertion hole 84, so that the lead frame 10 is placed on the electrode terminal portions 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, and 36 of the detection element 4, respectively. Electrically connected. The lead frame 10 is also electrically connected to a lead wire 46 disposed inside the sensor from the outside, and an external device to which the lead wire 46 is connected and the electrode terminal portions 30, 31, 32, 34. , 35 and 36, a current path for current flowing between them is formed.

  The metal shell 102 has a substantially cylindrical shape having a through hole 109 penetrating in the axial direction and having a shelf 107 projecting radially inward inside the through hole 109. Further, the metal shell 102 is arranged in a state in which the detection portion 8 is arranged outside the front end side of the through hole 109 and the electrode terminal portions 30, 31, 32, 34, 35.36 are arranged outside the rear end side of the through hole 109. The detection element 4 inserted through the through hole 109 is held. Further, the shelf 107 is formed as an inwardly tapered surface having an inclination with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axial direction.

  In addition, inside the through hole 109 of the metal shell 102, an annular ceramic holder 106 and powder-filled layers 108 and 110 (hereinafter also referred to as talc rings 108 and 110) are provided so as to surround the periphery of the detection element 4 in the radial direction. The above-described ceramic sleeve 6 is laminated in this order from the front end side to the rear end side. Further, a caulking ring 112 is disposed between the ceramic sleeve 6 and the rear end portion 104 of the metallic shell 102, and a metal cup 129 is disposed between the ceramic holder 106 and the shelf 107 of the metallic shell 102. Is arranged. The rear end portion 104 of the metal shell 102 is crimped so as to press the ceramic sleeve 6 against the distal end side via the crimping ring 112.

Here, a perspective view showing a schematic structure of the detection element 4 is shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the detection element 4 is shown by omitting an intermediate portion in the axial direction.
The detection element 4 includes an element portion 20 formed in a plate shape extending in the axial direction (left and right direction in FIG. 2), and a heater 22 formed in a plate shape extending in the axial direction. 20 and heater 22 are laminated to form a plate shape having a rectangular axial cross section. The detection element 4 used as the NOx sensor 2 will not be described in detail with respect to its internal structure, but its schematic configuration is as follows.

  First, the element unit 20 includes an oxygen concentration battery cell in which a porous electrode is formed on both sides of a solid electrolyte substrate, an oxygen pump cell in which a porous electrode is formed on both sides of the solid electrolyte substrate, and a porous material on the solid electrolyte substrate. A NOx detection cell having a porous electrode and a spacer for forming a hollow measurement gas chamber stacked between these cells. This solid electrolyte substrate is made of zirconia in which yttria is dissolved as a stabilizer, and the porous electrode is mainly made of Pt. The spacer forming the measurement gas chamber is mainly composed of alumina, and inside the hollow measurement gas chamber, one porous electrode of the oxygen concentration battery cell, one porous electrode of the oxygen pump cell, It arrange | positions so that one porous electrode of a NOx detection cell may be exposed. The measurement gas chamber is formed so as to be positioned on the tip side of the element unit 20, and the portion where the measurement gas chamber is formed corresponds to the detection unit 8.

Next, the heater 22 is formed by sandwiching a heating resistor pattern mainly composed of Pt between insulating substrates mainly composed of alumina.
In addition, a protective layer (not shown) for preventing poisoning is formed on the front surface of the detection element 4 where the detection unit 8 is formed.

  In such a detection element 4, as shown in FIG. 2, three electrode terminal portions 30, 31, 32 are formed on the rear end side (right side in FIG. 2) of the first plate surface 21, and the second plate surface. Three electrode terminal portions 34, 35, and 36 are formed on the rear end side of 23. Of these six electrode terminal portions 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, four electrode terminal portions are porous electrodes (oxygen concentration battery cell, oxygen pump cell, NOx detection cell) provided in the element portion 20. The remaining two are connected to both ends of the heating resistor pattern provided inside the heater 22, respectively.

  In the detection element 4 of the present embodiment, the electrode terminal portion 31 is formed in the rearmost end region of the first plate surface 21, and the electrode terminal portions 30 and 32 are of the rear end portion of the first plate surface 21. It is formed and configured in a region on the tip side from the electrode terminal portion 31. In the detection element 4 of the present embodiment, the electrode terminal portion 35 is formed in the rearmost end region of the second plate surface 23, and the electrode terminal portions 34 and 36 are of the rear end portion of the second plate surface 23. It is formed and configured in a region on the tip side of the electrode terminal portion 35.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the detection element 4 configured in this way protrudes from the front end of the metal shell 102 on the front end side (downward in FIG. 1) fixed to the exhaust pipe, and also on the rear end side. The electrode terminal portions 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, and 36 are fixed to the inside of the metal shell 102 in a state of protruding from the rear end of the metal shell 102.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, a metal (for example, stainless steel) having a plurality of holes and covering the protruding portion of the detection element 4 on the outer periphery of the front end side (downward in FIG. 1) of the metal shell 102. A double external protector 42 and an internal protector 43 are attached by welding or the like.

  An outer cylinder 44 is fixed to the outer periphery of the rear end side of the metal shell 102. In addition, the opening 45 on the rear end side (upper side in FIG. 1) of the outer cylinder 44 is electrically connected to the electrode terminal portions 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, and 36 of the detection element 4, respectively. A grommet 50 having a lead wire insertion hole 61 through which the lead wire 46 is inserted is disposed.

  An insulating separator 82 is disposed on the rear end side (upper side in FIG. 1) of the detection element 4 protruding from the rear end portion 104 of the metal shell 102. The insulating separator 82 is disposed around the electrode terminal portions 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36 formed on the rear end surface of the detection element 4.

Next, the insulating separator 82 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the insulating separator 82 includes an outer separator 183 having an element insertion hole 84 penetrating in the axial direction, and an inner separator 185 at least partially disposed in the element insertion hole 84. ing.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the outer separator 183 when viewed from an oblique direction on the rear end side, and FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the inner separator 185.
As shown in FIG. 3, the outer separator 183 is made of an insulating material (alumina or the like), is formed in a cylindrical shape having an element insertion hole 84 penetrating in the axial direction, and radially outward on the outer surface. A flange 83 is provided to protrude from the top.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the outer separator 183 is disposed inside the outer cylinder 44 in a state in which the flange portion 83 is in contact with the inner support member 64. Note that the internal support member 64 is held inside the outer cylinder 44 by being held by a portion crimped inwardly in the outer cylinder 44. The inner support member 64 held by the outer cylinder 44 in this way supports the insulating separator 82 (outer separator 183) by coming into contact with the flange 83.

  Here, in order to show the detailed configuration of the outer separator 183, FIG. 5 shows a front view of the outer separator 183, FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the outer separator 183, and FIG. The figure is shown. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line AA of the outer separator 183 in FIG. 6, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line BB in the outer separator 183 in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 3, 7, 8, and 9, the outer separator 183 has an inner surface of the element insertion hole 84, a rear contact portion 192 that contacts the rear surface of the inner separator 185, and a side surface that contacts the side surface of the inner separator 185. A contact portion 193. A recess 195 surrounded by the back contact portion 192 and the two side contact portions 193 in the element insertion hole 84 becomes an arrangement region of the inner separator 185.

  As shown in FIGS. 3, 7, 8, and 9, the outer separator 183 has a position determining portion 184 that protrudes inwardly at the rear end side in the element insertion hole 84. The position determining portion 184 has an engagement surface facing the tip end side in the axial direction, and by engaging with the rear end surface (rear facing surface) of the inner separator 185 with this engagement surface, the element insertion hole The inner separator 185 is positioned inside 84.

Next, the inner separator 185 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 4, the inner separator 185 is made of an insulating material, and includes a plate-like main body portion 186 and a partition wall 187 formed to protrude from the plate surface of the plate-like main body portion 186. .

  Here, FIG. 10 shows a front view of the inner separator 185, and FIG. 11 shows a bottom view of the inner separator 185 (outside view seen from the front end side). In FIG. 10, the upper side of the figure is the rear end side, and the lower side of the figure is the front end side.

The plate-like main body portion 186 has a width dimension (lateral dimension in FIG. 10) set to a size that can be inserted into the recess 195 in the element insertion hole 84 of the outer separator 183.
The plate-like main body 186 has a back surface facing the back surface contact portion 192 of the outer separator 183, both side surfaces facing the side surface contact portion 193 of the outer separator 183, and a rear end portion 189 of the position of the outer separator 183. By being engaged with the determining portion 184 (see FIGS. 7, 8, and 9), the arrangement position in the element insertion hole 84 is determined.

  The plate-like main body 186 includes a notch 188 formed by cutting off two corners on the tip side (lower side in FIG. 10). The notch 188 is formed so that a part of the lead frame 10 (terminal locking portion 318 described later) comes into contact therewith. A part of the lead frame 10 (terminal locking portion 318 to be described later) abuts on the notch portion 188, thereby preventing the inner separator 185 from dropping from the element insertion hole 84 of the outer separator 183. .

  Next, four partition walls 187 are provided on the plate surface of the plate-like main body 186, and are formed in two rows in a state extending in the axial direction (vertical direction in FIG. 10). Two of the partition walls 187 formed on the rear end side (upper side in FIG. 10) are rear end partition walls 190, and two formed on the front end side (lower side in FIG. 10) are front end partition walls 191. .

  The partition walls 187 are formed in two rows to divide the plate surface of the plate-like main body portion 186 into three and form three frame arrangement grooves 86 (in other words, arrangement areas of the lead frame 10). . In other words, the partition wall 187 is provided as a boundary portion of the frame arrangement groove 86 (arrangement area of the lead frame 10).

  The partition walls 187 prevent the lead frames 10 from contacting each other by suppressing the lead frames 10 from moving in the width direction of the plate-like main body 186 (the left-right direction in FIG. 10). Accordingly, the frame arrangement groove 86 becomes an arrangement region for individually arranging the three lead frames 10 in an electrically insulated state.

  The partition wall 187 is formed by being divided into a rear end partition wall 190 and a front end partition wall 191, and a part of the lead frame 10 (frame locking portion 219 described later) is formed in a gap region between the rear end partition wall 190 and the front end partition wall 191. ) Is arranged, it is possible to suppress the lead frame 10 from moving in the axial direction.

  The inner separator 185 includes the partition wall 187 so that the lead frame 10 can be easily positioned (positioning in the axial direction) in the element insertion hole 84 of the outer separator 183.

Next, the lead frame 10 will be described.
The lead frame 10 is formed of a known material (for example, Inconel, stainless steel, etc.) that can maintain elasticity (spring elasticity) even when repeatedly exposed to high temperatures.

  The NOx sensor 2 of the present embodiment is configured to include three types of lead frames (a first lead frame 211, a second lead frame 221, and a third lead frame 231) having different shapes as the lead frame 10. . Further, in FIG. 1, in the NOx sensor 2, regarding the cross section of the insulating separator 82 and the grommet 50, the first lead frame 211 is arranged on the right half in order to facilitate understanding of the internal structure of the insulating separator 82 and the grommet 50. The sectional state of the region is shown, and the sectional state of the arrangement region of the third lead frame 231 is shown on the left half.

First, the first lead frame 211 will be described.
A perspective view of the first lead frame 211 is shown in FIG.
The first lead frame 211 extends from the front end of the frame main body 212, which is a long plate-like member extending in the axial direction, and at least a part of the first lead frame 211 is the frame main body 212 and the detection element 4. And an element contact portion 216 extending so as to be disposed between the two. The first lead frame 211 is configured such that the element contact portion 216 (specifically, a part of the element contact portion 216) contacts the electrode terminal portion of the detection element 4.

  Of the element abutting portions 216, the connecting portion 214 that is connected to the tip of the frame main body portion 212 and changes its direction radially inward is configured to be elastically deformed when an external force is applied. In other words, the first lead frame 211 is configured such that the gap interval between the frame main body 212 and the element contact portion 216 changes as the connecting portion 214 is elastically deformed.

  The frame main body 212 has a bending portion 213 that is curved in the thickness direction of the plate surface, and a rear end portion that is located on the front end side of the bending portion 213 and a rear end that is located on the rear end of the bending portion 213. About the end side part, it is comprised so that the position in the thickness direction of a board surface may become a respectively different position.

The first lead frame 211 includes frame locking portions 219 formed to protrude in the width direction from both side surfaces of the frame main body portion 212.
The frame locking portion 219 is formed in a size that can be disposed between the rear end partition wall 190 and the front end partition wall 191 in the inner separator 185 of the insulating separator 82. The frame locking portion 219 includes a first locking surface 235 that faces the rear end side in the axial direction of the frame main body portion 212 and a second locking surface 237 that faces the front end side in the axial direction of the frame main body portion 212. I have.

  That is, when the frame locking portion 219 of the first lead frame 211 is disposed between the rear end partition wall 190 and the front end partition wall 191, the first locking surface 235 comes into contact with the rear end partition wall 190, and the second locking The surface 237 contacts the tip partition wall 191. As described above, the frame locking portion 219 is disposed between the rear end partition wall 190 and the front end partition wall 191 so that the relative position of the first lead frame 211 with respect to the insulating separator 82 (inner separator 185) (relative in the axial direction). (Position) can be prevented from changing.

  The element contact portion 216 is connected to the front end of the frame main body portion 212, and in the free state of the first lead frame 211, the open side end portion 215 that is the rear end portion in the axial direction of the element contact portion 216 is the frame. It is formed so as to be separated from the main body 212. The element abutting portion 216 is a curved circle that is curved so that the gap dimension from its axial center to the frame main body 212 is longer than the gap dimension from the open end 215 to the frame main body 212. The arcuate shape is formed such that the convex surface of the arcuate shape is in contact with the detection element 4.

  The element abutting portion 216 is configured such that the open-side end portion 215 abuts the frame main body portion 212 when the connecting portion 214 thereof is elastically deformed and the open-side end portion 215 approaches the frame main body portion 212. Has been. The element contact portion 216 is bent so as to protrude toward the detection element 4 at a substantially intermediate portion in the axial direction.

  That is, the first lead frame 211 is sandwiched between the detection element 4 and the insulating separator 82 (inner separator 185), and when the connecting portion 214 is elastically deformed, the open end 215 of the element abutting portion 216. Is in contact with the frame main body 212 and the element contact portion 216 is in contact with the electrode terminal portion of the detection element 4.

  Furthermore, the first lead frame 211 includes a lead wire connecting portion 217 formed wider than the frame main body portion 212 at the rear end portion (upper end portion in FIG. 12) of the frame main body portion 212. The lead wire connecting portion 217 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape by bending, and then crimped radially inward with the core wire of the lead wire 46 (see FIG. 1) inserted therein, It is electrically connected to the lead wire 46.

Next, the second lead frame 221 will be described.
FIG. 13 shows a front view of the second lead frame 221, and FIG. 14 shows a right side view of the second lead frame 221.

  The second lead frame 221 includes a frame main body 312 made of a long plate-like member extending in the axial direction, and extends at the tip of the frame main body 312. A part of the second lead frame 221 includes the frame main body 312 and the detection element 4. And an element contact portion 315 extending in the axial direction so as to be disposed between the two.

The element contact portion 315 is formed with a contact bent portion 316 that is bent so as to protrude toward the detection element 4 at a substantially intermediate portion in the axial direction.
The element abutting portion 315 has a connecting side end portion 313 that is connected to the frame main body portion 312 at the front end side and bends and changes its direction. Further, the element abutting portion 315 has a main body abutting portion 322 that abuts the frame main body portion 312 on the rear end side of the element abutting portion 315, and the rear end portion in the axial direction in the free state of the second lead frame 221 itself. The open side end 314 is formed so as to be separated from the frame main body 312.

  The main body abutting portion 322 is formed when the second lead frame 221 is sandwiched between the detecting element 4 and the insulating separator 82 (inner separator 185), and the connecting side end 313 is elastically deformed. It abuts on the part 312.

The element contact portion 315 is formed in a curved arc shape, and the contact bent portion 316 on the convex surface of the arc shape is formed so as to contact the detection element 4.
Further, the open end 314 of the element contact portion 315 is formed in a tapered shape on the rear end side from the main body contact portion 322 when the second lead frame 221 is viewed from the detection element 4 side.

  Further, the second lead frame 221 is integrally provided with a lead wire connecting portion 319 formed wider than the frame main body 312 on the rear end side (the upper side in FIGS. 13 and 14) of the frame main body 312. . The lead wire connecting portion 319 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape by bending, and then crimped radially inward with the core wire of the lead wire 46 (see FIG. 1) inserted therein, Connected to the lead wire 46.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the second lead frame 221 of the present embodiment includes a terminal fixing guide portion 317 extending from the substantially intermediate portion in the axial direction of the frame main body portion 312 to the side. ing. The terminal fixing guide portion 317 is formed such that its rear end portion is positioned closer to the rear end side in the axial direction than the rear end portion of the open side end portion 314.

The terminal fixing guide portion 317 includes an overhang portion 326 and a fixed contact portion 327.
The overhanging portion 326 includes a flat surface portion 328 formed on the same plane as the frame main body portion 312, and a vertical surface portion 329 extending from the flat surface portion 328 in the vertical direction. The overhanging portion 326 is configured such that the vertical surface portion 329 is disposed in a space where the element contact portion 315 exists among the two spaces partitioned on the same plane as the frame main body portion 312.

Next, the fixed contact portion 327 extends from the front end side in the axial direction of the vertical surface portion 329 of the overhang portion 326.
The fixed contact portion 327 is bent away from the frame main body portion 312 at a predetermined angle (for example, about 30 °) with respect to the plate surface of the vertical surface portion 329, and the width gradually decreases toward the distal end side. It is formed in a tapered shape. Further, the tip end portion of the fixed contact portion 327 extending in a tapered shape is formed in an arc shape. The fixed contact portion 327 is formed so as to be elastically deformed toward the frame main body 312 when an external force in the direction toward the frame main body 312 is applied to the distal end side thereof. A terminal locking portion 318 extending from the distal end side of the frame main body 312 is provided.

  The terminal locking portion 318 includes an extending portion 330 extending from the side surface on the distal end side of the frame main body portion 312 and a vertical portion 331 extending from the end portion of the extending portion 330. Yes. The extending portion 330 is configured to have a plate surface perpendicular to the plate surface of the frame main body portion 312, and the vertical portion 331 is a plate surface parallel to the plate surface of the frame main body portion 312. It is comprised.

  When the second lead frame 221 is disposed in the element insertion hole 84 of the insulating separator 82, the terminal locking portion 318 has the notch portion 188 of the insulating separator 82 (specifically, the plate-like main body portion 186). The arrangement position in the element insertion hole 84 is determined. That is, the relative position between the insulating separator 82 and the lead frame 10 can be determined by the terminal locking portion 318 of the lead frame 10 coming into contact with the notch 188 of the insulating separator 82 (specifically, the inner separator 185). it can.

Next, the third lead frame 231 will be described.
The third lead frame 231 is configured by changing the second lead frame 221 in line symmetry, and a terminal fixing guide portion corresponding to the terminal fixing guide portion 317 of the second lead frame 221, A terminal locking portion corresponding to the terminal locking portion 318 of the two-lead frame 221 is provided.

  That is, the third lead frame 231 is configured such that the second lead frame 221 shown in FIG. 13 is line-symmetric with respect to the central axis (the chain line in FIG. 13). For this reason, detailed illustration of the third lead frame 231 is omitted.

  When the lead frame 10 configured in this manner is disposed on the inner separator 185, the first lead frame 211 is disposed at the center position among the three frame disposition grooves 86 shown in FIG. The frame 221 is arranged at the right end of the three frame arrangement grooves 86, and the third lead frame 231 is arranged at the left end of the three frame arrangement grooves 86.

  In other words, the first lead frame 211 is arranged in the frame arrangement groove 86 corresponding to the electrode terminal portions 31 and 35 of the detection element 4, and the second lead frame 221 is arranged in the electrode terminal portions 30 and 36 of the detection element 4. The third lead frame 231 is arranged in the frame arrangement groove 86 corresponding to the electrode terminal portions 32 and 34 of the detection element 4.

Next, an operation procedure for arranging the lead frame 10 with respect to the element insertion hole 84 of the insulating separator 82 will be described.
FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 are explanatory diagrams showing respective states during the operation regarding the operation of arranging the lead frame 10 with respect to the element insertion hole 84 of the insulating separator 82. 15 and 16, the constituent members are illustrated such that the upper side in the drawing is the front end side of the NOx sensor 2 and the lower side in the drawing is the rear end side of the NOx sensor 2.

  First, in the first step, the lead wire 46 is inserted into the lead frame 10 (first lead frame 211, second lead frame 221, third lead frame 231) with the lead wire 46 inserted into the element insertion hole 84 of the outer separator 183. The lead wire connecting portion (specifically, the lead wire connecting portion 217 and the lead wire connecting portion 319) is caulked and connected.

  At this time, the first lead frame 211 corresponds to the electrode terminal portions 31 and 35 of the detection element 4, the second lead frame 221 corresponds to the electrode terminal portions 30 and 36 of the detection element 4, and the third lead frame 231 detects. The arrangement position of the lead wire 46 in the element insertion hole 84 of the outer separator 183 is determined so as to correspond to the electrode terminal portions 32 and 34 of the element 4.

  The first state (leftmost state) in FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing a state when the first step is completed. In the explanatory diagram of the first state in FIG. 15, the two inner separators 185 that are not used for the work in the first step are also shown for reference.

  In the next second step, one of the two inner separators 185 is used to insert one of the two first lead frames 211 into the element insertion hole 84 of the outer separator 183. I do.

  That is, in the state where the first lead frame 211 is disposed in the frame placement groove 86 at the center position among the three frame placement grooves 86 (see FIG. 10) in the inner separator 185, the first lead frame 211 is moved to the outside together with the inner separator 185. The element is inserted into the element insertion hole 84 of the separator 183.

  At this time, the frame locking portion 219 of the first lead frame 211 is disposed between the rear end partition wall 190 and the front end partition wall 191, so that the relative position between the first lead frame 211 and the inner separator 185 in the axial direction can be increased. The inner separator 185 and the first lead frame 211 can be inserted into the element insertion hole 84 while maintaining constant.

  The inner separator 185 and the first lead frame 211 are inserted into the element insertion hole 84 until the rear end portion 189 of the inner separator 185 contacts the position determining portion 184 (see FIGS. 7, 8, and 9) of the outer separator 183. . As described above, the rear end portion 189 of the inner separator 185 is brought into contact with the position determining portion 184 of the outer separator 183, whereby the arrangement positions of the inner separator 185 and the first lead frame 211 in the element insertion hole 84 of the outer separator 183 are changed. It can be set at a predetermined position.

  Further, the first lead frame 211 is arranged in the frame arrangement groove 86 at the center position in the inner separator 185 and is sandwiched between the two partition walls 187, thereby restricting movement in the width direction of the inner separator 185. As a result, the first lead frame 211 can be prevented from coming into contact with other lead frames 10 (the second lead frame 221 and the third lead frame 231) disposed adjacent to each other, and the current path is in an inappropriate state. Can be prevented.

  The second state in FIG. 15 is an explanatory view showing a state in the middle of the second step (specifically, a stage in which a part of the inner separator 185 is inserted into the element insertion hole 84 of the outer separator 183).

  In the next third step, the other inner separator 185 of the two inner separators 185 is used to insert the other first lead frame 211 of the two first lead frames 211 into the element insertion hole 84 of the outer separator 183. Work to do.

The insertion operation is the same as that described above, and detailed description thereof is omitted.
The third state in FIG. 15 is an explanatory view showing a state in the middle of the third step (specifically, a stage in which a part of the inner separator 185 is inserted into the element insertion hole 84 of the outer separator 183). , FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a state when the third step is completed.

  In the next fourth step, the remaining four lead frames 10 (two second lead frames 221, two third lead frames 231) are inserted into the element insertion holes 84 of the outer separator 183.

  That is, a portion of the lead wire 46 that is on the rear end side (lower side in FIG. 16) of the insulating separator 82 is gripped, and the lead wire 46 is moved to the rear end side while fixing the position of the insulating separator 82. Thus, the lead frame 10 (second lead frame 221 and third lead frame 231) is pulled into the element insertion hole 84 of the outer separator 183.

  At this time, the lead wire 46 is moved until the terminal locking portion 318 of the lead frame 10 (second lead frame 221, third lead frame 231) contacts the notch 188 of the inner separator 185.

  Thus, the arrangement positions (in detail, the two second lead frames 221, the second third lead frames 231) of the four lead frames 10 in the element insertion holes 84 of the insulating separator 82 (outer separator 183) The arrangement position in the axial direction) can be set at a fixed position.

  At this time, the lead frames 10 may be sequentially inserted into the element insertion holes 84 of the outer separator 183 one by one, or a plurality of (for example, two) lead frames 10 may be simultaneously inserted into the element insertion holes 84. May be.

  The fifth state in FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in the middle of the fourth step (specifically, a stage where two of the four lead frames 10 are inserted into the element insertion holes 84 of the outer separator 183). Further, the sixth state in FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a state when the third step is completed.

  In this way, the inner separator 185 and the lead frame 10 are disposed in the element insertion hole 84 of the outer separator 183, whereby the insulating separator 82 including the inner separator 185 and the outer separator 183 is completed, and the elements of the insulating separator 82 are completed. Six lead frames 10 are arranged with respect to the insertion holes 84.

  With respect to the insulating separator 82 in a state where the lead frame 10 is disposed in the element insertion hole 84, a plan view is shown in FIG. 17, a bottom view is shown in FIG. 18, and a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. Shown in In FIG. 17, the lead wire 46 is shown as a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 17 and FIG. 18, the six lead frames 10 have two regions (a region facing the electrode terminal portions 30, 31, and 32 of the detection element 4, a region facing the electrode terminal portions 34, 35, and 36). Three are arranged so as to be divided into (regions). The element contact portions (element contact portion 216 and element contact portion 315) of the opposing lead frame 10 are in contact with each other and are disposed in the element insertion hole 84 of the insulating separator 82.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 19, the partition wall 187 of the inner separator 185 has three lead frames 10 (first lead frame 211, second lead frame 221, third lead frame 231) arranged adjacent to each other. Preventing contact with each other.

  By inserting the rear end portion of the detection element 4 into the element insertion hole 84 of the insulating separator 82 in the state where the lead frame 10 is arranged in this manner, the element contact portion (element contact portion) of the lead frame 10 is inserted. 216, the element contact portion 315) and the electrode terminal portions 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, and 36 of the detection element 4 can be contacted (in other words, electrically connected).

  Of the three lead frames 10, two adjacent lead frames 10 (for example, two of the first lead frame 211 and the second lead frame 221, or of the first lead frame 211 and the third lead frame 231). 2) are arranged such that their arrangement positions in the axial direction are different from each other.

  Of the plurality of electrode terminal portions, two electrode terminal portions adjacent to each other on the same surface of the detection element 4 (for example, two electrode terminal portions 30 and 31, electrode terminal portion 31 and electrode terminal portion 32). 2, two electrode terminal portions 34 and two electrode terminal portions 35, two electrode terminal portions 35 and two electrode terminal portions 36) are formed at different positions in the axial direction. Each lead frame 10 is arranged at a position where it is connected to the electrode terminal portions 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36 to be connected. As a result, the two adjacent lead frames 10 are arranged such that the arrangement positions in the axial direction are different from each other.

  The assembling work for assembling the detection element 4, the lead frame 10, and the insulating separator 82 integrally is performed in the middle of the manufacturing process of the NOx sensor 2. In the manufacturing process of the NOx sensor 2, an assembly operation of the intermediate assembly component 105 including the detection element 4, the ceramic sleeve 6, the talc ring 108, the ceramic holder 106, and the metal shell 102 is performed before the assembly operation. ing.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the intermediate assembly part 105 in a state in which the rear end side of the detection element 4 is protruded from the rear end part 104 of the metal shell 102 and the rear end part of the ceramic sleeve 6.
In the manufacturing process of the NOx sensor 2, the detection element 4 in the state constituting the intermediate assembly part 105 is inserted into the element insertion hole 84 of the insulating separator 82 in the state in which the lead frame 10 is inserted. The separator 82 and the detection element 4 can be assembled together.

  After the lead frame 10, the insulating separator 82, and the detection element 4 are assembled together, the outer cylinder 44 and the like are joined to the metal shell 102 by laser welding or the like, and the grommet 50 is fixed to the outer cylinder 44 by caulking. By performing the fixing work or the like, the NOx sensor 2 is completed and the manufacturing process of the NOx sensor 2 is completed.

  In this embodiment, the NOx sensor 2 corresponds to the sensor described in the claims, the lead frame 10 corresponds to the metal terminal member, and the recess 195 in the element insertion hole 84 of the outer separator 183 is the outer side. The partition 187 (rear end partition 190, front end partition 191) corresponds to the recess in the separator, and corresponds to the partition.

  Further, the position determining portion 184 of the outer separator 183 corresponds to a position determining portion, the rear end partition wall 190 and the front end partition wall 191 correspond to partition walls, and the frame locking portion 219 of the first lead frame 211 is a protruding portion of the metal terminal member. The terminal lock portion 318 of the second lead frame 221 and the third lead frame corresponds to the tip engaging portion.

  As described above, in the NOx sensor 2 of the present embodiment, the insulating separator 82 is not composed of a single member, but includes an outer separator 183 and an inner separator 185.

  In this insulating separator 82, the partition 187 for insulating the lead frames 10 from each other is formed not in the outer separator 183 having the element insertion holes 84 but in the inner separator 185 provided as a separate member from the outer separator 183. Has been.

  With respect to the lead frame 10 (first lead frame 211) that is difficult to position in the element insertion hole 84 by using the insulating separator 82 having such a configuration, the lead frame 10 is inserted into the outer separator 183 together with the inner separator 185. It can be inserted into the hole 84.

  In other words, the lead frame 10 can be directly visually recognized by arranging the lead frame 10 with respect to the inner separator 185 that is a part of the insulating separator 82 before the lead frame 10 (first lead frame 211) is inserted into the element insertion hole 84. Under such circumstances, the relative position between the inner separator 185 and the lead frame 10 can be set.

Since direct visual recognition is possible in this way, the relative position between the inner separator 185 and the lead frame 10 can be easily set to a specific position.
Thus, when the lead frame 10 is inserted into the element insertion hole 84 of the outer separator 183 together with the inner separator 185, the relative position between the inner separator 185 and the outer separator 183 can be easily set to a specific position, and the insulating separator 82 The positioning operation of the lead frame 10 in the element insertion hole 84 becomes easy. That is, the lead frame 10 can be easily disposed with respect to the target position of the element insertion hole 84.

  Therefore, according to the NOx sensor 2 of the present embodiment, even in a sensor including the insulating separator 82 having the element insertion hole 84, the lead frame 10 can be easily and appropriately disposed when the lead frame 10 is disposed with respect to the element insertion hole 84. Can be placed at any position.

  Note that the insulating separator 82 of the present embodiment includes a pair of inner separators 185, and the pair of inner separators 185 are arranged on the first plate surface 21 and the second plate surface 23 of the plate surfaces of the detection element 4, respectively. Is done.

  As described above, by providing the pair of inner separators 185, even when the lead frame 10 that is not easily arranged exists on each of the front surface and the back surface of the plate surface of the detection element 4, The lead frame 10 can be appropriately disposed on each of the front surface and the back surface.

  In addition, the outer separator 183 of the present embodiment includes a position determining unit 184 that contacts the rear end 189 (rear facing surface) of the inner separator 185 in the arrangement region (recess 195) of the inner separator 185 in the element insertion hole 84. ing.

  In other words, the outer separator 183 includes the position determining unit 184, so that the movement range (specifically, the movement range in the rear end direction) of the inner separator 185 within the element insertion hole 84 can be limited.

  Then, the position determining portion 184 is defined so that the position of the inner separator 185 in the element insertion hole 84 becomes the target position, and the inner separator 185 is inserted into the element insertion hole 84 when the inner separator 185 is inserted into the element insertion hole 84. Positioning work when placing the inner separator 185 in the element insertion hole 84 is facilitated by bringing the rear end portion 189 into contact with the position determining portion 184.

  As described above, since the positioning work when the inner separator 185 is disposed in the element insertion hole 84 becomes easy, the complexity of the positioning work when the lead frame 10 and the inner separator 185 are disposed in the element insertion hole 84 is reduced. Thus, the positioning operation of the lead frame 10 in the element insertion hole 84 is facilitated.

Further, the inner separator 185 includes a rear end partition wall 190 and a front end partition wall 191 that are in contact with the frame locking portion 219 of the lead frame 10 (first lead frame 211).
When the inner separator 185 includes the rear end partition wall 190 and the front end partition wall 191, when the lead frame 10 (first lead frame 211) is about to move in the axial direction (rear end direction or front end direction), the rear end partition wall 190 or the tip partition 191 contacts the rear facing surface or the front facing surface of the frame locking portion 219 to limit the movement range of the lead frame 10.

The rear facing surface is a surface facing the rear side (rear end side), and the front facing surface is a surface facing the front side (front end side).
As a result, the positioning of the lead frame 10 (first lead frame 211) in the axial direction with respect to the inner separator 185 is facilitated, and the occurrence of a shift in the relative position between the lead frame 10 and the inner separator 185 in the axial direction can be suppressed. .

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the relative positioning work between the inner separator 185 and the lead frame 10 is reduced when the lead frame 10 is arranged in the element insertion hole 84 of the insulating separator 82. Thus, the lead frame 10 can be easily arranged at an appropriate position.

  In the present embodiment, the rear end partition wall 190 and the front end partition wall 191 provided in the inner separator 185 are the first locking surface 235 (rear facing surface) and the second locking surface 237 (front side) of the frame locking portion 219. It is configured to contact each of the opposing surfaces.

  That is, the inner separator 185 includes not only one of the first locking surface 235 (rear facing surface) and the second locking surface 237 (front facing surface) of the frame locking portion 219, but also the first locking surface. A rear end partition wall 190 and a front end partition wall 191 are provided so as to abut on each of the surface 235 (rear facing surface) and the second locking surface 237 (front facing surface).

Thereby, the inner separator 185 can restrict the movement of the lead frame 10 in both directions (front end side direction and rear end side direction) in the axial direction.
Therefore, according to the present embodiment, when the lead frame 10 is arranged with respect to the element insertion hole 84 of the insulating separator 82, the movement of the lead frame 10 can be restricted in both directions in the axial direction. The relative positioning operation is further facilitated.

  In the present embodiment, among the lead frames 10, the second lead frame 221 and the third lead frame 231 include a terminal locking portion 318 that engages with the front end surface of the insulating separator 82.

  As described above, since the lead frame 10 includes the terminal locking portion 318, the relative position between the leading end surface of the insulating separator 82 and the lead frame 10 can be easily determined, and the lead frame 10 and the insulating separator 82 in the axial direction can be easily determined. Positioning is easy.

  In particular, when the lead frame 10 is inserted into the element insertion hole 84 of the insulating separator 82, the element insertion is performed by inserting the metal terminal member until the terminal locking portion 318 comes into contact with the distal end surface of the insulating separator 82. The arrangement position of the metal terminal member in the hole can be easily set to a specific position.

Accordingly, when the lead frame 10 is disposed in the element insertion hole 84 of the insulating separator 82, the amount of insertion of the lead frame 10 (second lead frame 221 and third lead frame 231) into the element insertion hole 84 is determined as a terminal relationship. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the lead frame 10 (the second lead frame 221 and the third lead) with respect to the element insertion hole 84 can be determined based on whether or not the stop portion 318 is in contact with the front end surface of the insulating separator 82. Since the insertion amount of the frame 231) can be easily determined, the relative positioning operation of the insulating separator 82 and the lead frame 10 is further facilitated.

  The lead frame 10 includes frame body portions 212 and 312 and element contact portions 216 and 315, and the inner separator 185 includes a plate-shaped plate body portion 186 that contacts the frame body portion. It is prepared for.

  That is, the inner separator 185 includes the plate-like main body 186, so that the position of the lead frame 10 relative to the inner separator 185 is easily set to a specific position before the lead frame 10 is inserted into the element insertion hole 84. be able to. Thereby, the positioning operation of the lead frame 10 in the element insertion hole 84 of the insulating separator 82 is facilitated.

  The lead frame 10 (first lead frame 211) includes a connecting portion 214, and the connecting portion 214 is inserted when the detection element 4 is inserted into the element insertion hole 84 in a state where the lead frame 10 is disposed. Is elastically deformed to absorb external force from the detection element 4.

Thereby, when the detection element 4 is inserted into the element insertion hole 84, it is possible to prevent the arrangement position of the lead frame 10 from being moved by an external force from the detection element 4.
Further, the outer separator 183 has a recess 195 as an arrangement region of the inner separator 185 in the element insertion hole 84. Further, the plate-like main body 186 of the inner separator 185 is configured to be disposed in the recess 195 by sliding from the front end side of the outer separator 183 toward the rear end side along the inner surface of the element insertion hole 84. ing.

  Thus, by providing the recess 195 in the outer separator 183, when the inner separator 185 is inserted (slid) into the element insertion hole 84 of the outer separator 183, the arrangement position of the inner separator 185 in the element insertion hole 84 is changed. Can be easily determined.

  In the sensor including the outer separator 183 and the inner separator 185 having such a configuration, the positioning operation of the lead frame 10 in the element insertion hole 84 of the insulating separator 82 becomes easier.

  Further, in the NOx sensor 2 of the present embodiment, of the plurality of electrode terminal portions 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, two electrode terminal portions adjacent on the same surface of the detection element 4 are in the axial direction. Each forming position is different. The plurality of lead frames 10 are respectively arranged at positions to be connected to the electrode terminal portions 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36 to be connected.

  In the NOx sensor 2 having such a configuration, a large distance can be secured between two adjacent electrode terminal portions, and two lead frames 10 are connected to the two lead frames 10 connected to the two electrode terminal portions. A large distance can be secured between each other.

  Therefore, according to the NOx sensor 2 of the present embodiment, insulation between two adjacent electrode terminal portions can be ensured, and insulation between the two lead frames 10 connected to these electrode terminal portions can be secured.

  Furthermore, in the NOx sensor 2 of the present embodiment, the electrode terminal portions 30, 31, 32 formed on the first plate surface 21 of the detection element 4 and the electrode terminal portions formed on the second plate surface 23 of the detection element 4. Reference numerals 34, 35, and 36 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the detection element 4.

  As described above, when the plurality of electrode terminal portions 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36 are arranged symmetrically on the first plate surface 21 and the second plate surface 23 of the detection element 4, The lead frame 10 is also arranged substantially in plane symmetry. As a result, the distribution state of the pressure applied from the plurality of lead frames 10 to the detection element 4 is substantially the same between the first plate surface 21 and the second plate surface 23 of the detection element 4.

  Thereby, it is possible to prevent the contact state between the plurality of lead frames 10 and the detection element 4 from becoming uneven on the first plate surface 21 and the second plate surface 23 of the detection element 4, and the lead frame 10 and the electrode terminals. The contact state with the parts 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, and 36 can be made favorable.

As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various aspect can be taken.
For example, in the above embodiment, the insulating separator 82 includes the two inner separators 185, but the number of inner separators is not limited to two, depending on the arrangement state of the metal terminal member (lead frame), It may be singular or may be three or more.

  In the above embodiment, the notch 188 is formed in the inner separator 185 as a portion where the terminal locking portion 318 (tip engaging portion) of the lead frame 10 (metal terminal member) contacts the insulating separator 82. However, an insulating separator having no notch may be used.

  For example, even when the insulating separator does not have a notch, the metal terminal member and the metal terminal member and the tip engaging portion of the metal terminal member abut on the tip surface of the inner separator or the tip surface of the contact main body. By configuring the insulating separator, the relative position between the metal terminal member and the insulating separator can be easily determined.

  Note that the portion of the front end surface of the insulating separator that is engaged with the front end engaging portion of the metal terminal member may be either the front end surface of the outer separator or the front end surface of the inner separator, or the outer separator and the inner separator. Both of the front end surfaces may be used.

  Moreover, the sensor of this invention is not restricted to the form inserted in an element arrangement | positioning part (element insertion hole), after arrange | positioning all the metal terminal members in an inner side separator. For example, a part of the plurality of metal terminal members is arranged on the inner separator and then inserted into the element arrangement part (element insertion hole), and then the remaining metal terminal members are inserted into the element arrangement part (element insertion hole). It is good also as a structure to arrange.

  Further, the electrode terminal portions formed on the front surface and the back surface of the detection element are not limited to those formed on the front surface and the back surface, respectively. For example, a form in which a plurality of front surfaces (or back surfaces) are formed and a single back surface (or front surface) is formed may be used.

  Further, the sensor of the above embodiment includes a double protector (external protector 42 and internal protector 43) as a protector that covers the protruding portion of the detection element and has a plurality of holes. The structure is not limited to a single structure, and may be a single structure or a triple or more structure.

  Moreover, the hole provided in a protector is not restricted to a formation position and number like the said embodiment. As for the formation position of the hole, for example, the hole is not provided in the rear end side region (in other words, the region close to the detection element 4) of the side wall portion of the inner protector 43, and the hole portion is provided in the front end side region. You may make it provide. Note that the front end side region at this time may be a side wall portion of the protector, or may be a front end surface portion of the protector.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the outer side separator 183 of the insulation separator 82 is formed with the single member, for example, it is with the some member divided | segmented in the AA cross section in FIG. 6, or a BB cross section. It may be configured. That is, the outer separator may include a plurality of members that sandwich the detection element and the metal terminal member.

  Further, the metal terminal member (lead frame 10) having the protruding portion is not limited to the first lead frame 211 having the frame locking portion 219 as shown in FIG. 12, and the protruding portion is formed on the distal end side. It may be a configuration.

  Therefore, as a modified example, a modified first lead frame 268 having a protruding portion formed on the tip side will be described. 22 is a perspective view of the modified first lead frame 268, and FIG. 23 is a side view of the modified first lead frame 268.

  The modified first lead frame 268 is configured such that the protruding portion 269 is formed in the front end side region FA with respect to the central position CP in the axial direction of the surrounding region EA when the portion surrounded by the insulating separator is the surrounding region EA. It is. The protruding portion 269 includes a first locking surface 270 that faces the rear end side in the axial direction of the frame main body portion 212 and a second locking surface 271 that faces the front end side in the axial direction of the frame main body portion 212. Yes. In the modified first lead frame 268, the same components as those of the first lead frame 211 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

As an inner separator corresponding to the modified first lead frame 268, a modified inner separator 285 as shown in FIG. 21 can be cited.
The deformed inner separator 285 includes two rear end partition walls 290 formed on the rear end side (upper side in FIG. 21) and a front end side (lower side in FIG. 21) as partition walls for insulating a plurality of metal terminal members from each other. A partition wall 287 including two tip partition walls 291 formed on the side). The modified inner separator 285 is configured such that the protruding portion 269 of the modified first lead frame 268 is disposed in a gap region between the rear end partition 290 and the front end partition 291.

  That is, in the deformed inner separator 285, the gap region between the rear end partition wall 290 and the front end partition wall 291 is disposed on the front end side with respect to the gap region between the rear end partition wall 190 and the front end partition wall 191 in the inner separator 185. It is configured in the form. In the modified inner separator 285, the same components as those of the inner separator 185 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  Using the modified first lead frame 268 and the modified inner separator 285, the protrusion 269 and the partition wall 287 are brought into contact with each other, so that the front end side of the surrounding area EA of the modified first lead frame 268 can be easily positioned. become.

  In the case where an outer separator having an element insertion hole is used as the element arrangement portion, the detection element is arranged after the modified first lead frame 268 is arranged in the element arrangement portion (element insertion hole) together with the modified inner separator 285. An operation of inserting from the tip side of the (element insertion hole) may be performed. In such a case, the deformed first lead frame 268 in which the protruding portion 269 is formed on the distal end side with respect to the central position CP in the axial direction of the surrounding area EA is used. Even when an external force is applied to the frame 268, the deformation first lead frame 268 can be suppressed from moving to an inappropriate position.

2 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the NOx sensor 2. FIG. It is a perspective view showing the schematic structure of a detection element. It is a perspective view of an outer side separator when it sees from the diagonal direction of a rear end side. It is a perspective view of an inner separator. It is a front view of an outer side separator. It is a top view of an outside separator. It is a bottom view of an outside separator. It is sectional drawing showing the AA cross section in the outer side separator of FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross section taken along the line B-B in the outer separator of FIG. 6. It is a front view of an inner separator. It is a bottom view of an inner separator. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a first lead frame. It is a front view of the 2nd lead frame. It is a right side view of the second lead frame. It is explanatory drawing showing the 3rd state from the 1st state in the middle of work regarding the work which arranges a lead frame to the element penetration hole of an insulating separator. It is explanatory drawing showing the 6th state from the 4th state in the middle of an operation | work regarding the operation | work which arrange | positions a lead frame with respect to the element insertion hole of an insulation separator. It is a top view of the insulation separator in the state where the lead frame is arranged in the element insertion hole. It is a bottom view of an insulating separator in a state where a lead frame is disposed in an element insertion hole. It is sectional drawing showing CC sectional view among the insulation separators in FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an intermediate assembly component in a state in which a rear end side of a detection element protrudes from a rear end portion of a metal shell and a rear end portion of a ceramic sleeve. It is a front view of a deformation | transformation inner side separator. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified first lead frame. FIG. 6 is a side view of a modified first lead frame.

Explanation of symbols

  2 ... NOx sensor, 4 ... detection element, 10 ... lead frame, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36 ... electrode terminal, 82 ... insulating separator, 84 ... element insertion hole, 86 ... frame placement groove, 183 ... Outer separator, 184 ... Position determining section, 185 ... Inner separator, 186 ... Plate body, 187 ... Partition, 188 ... Notch, 189 ... Rear end, 190 ... Rear end partition, 191 ... Front end partition, 192 ... Back contact portion, 193 ... side contact portion, 195 ... concave portion, 211 ... first lead frame, 217 ... lead wire connection portion, 219 ... frame locking portion, 221 ... second lead frame, 231 ... third lead frame 235 ... first locking surface, 237 ... second locking surface, 317 ... terminal fixing guide portion, 318 ... terminal locking portion, 319 ... lead wire connecting portion.

Claims (14)

A detection element that has a plate shape extending in the axial direction, the front end side is directed to the measurement object, and a plurality of electrode terminal portions are formed on at least one plate surface of the rear end surface or the back surface;
A plurality of metal terminal members that are electrically connected to an external device and connected to the electrode terminal portion of the detection element;
An insulating material having an element arrangement part surrounding at least a part of the detection element and the metal terminal member, and insulating the electrode terminal part of the detection element and the metal terminal member in contact with each other inside the element arrangement part A separator;
A sensor comprising:
The insulating separator is
An outer separator surrounding the electrode terminal portion and the metal terminal member of the detection element;
An inner separator having at least a part disposed radially inward of the outer separator and having a partition wall for positioning the plurality of metal terminal members and insulating the plurality of metal terminal members from each other;
Sensor characterized by. The outer separator is formed as a cylindrical member, and has an element insertion hole penetrating in the axial direction as the element arrangement portion.
The inner separator is at least partially disposed within the element insertion hole;
The sensor according to claim 1. At least one of the plurality of metal terminal members includes a protruding portion protruding in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction,
The partition wall is positioned in the axial direction of the metal terminal member by abutting the protruding portion,
The sensor according to claim 1 or 2. When the portion surrounded by the insulating separator of the metal terminal member is the surrounding region,
The projecting portion is formed on the distal end side with respect to the axial center position of the surrounding region;
The sensor according to claim 3. At least one of the plurality of metal terminal members includes a tip engagement portion that engages with a tip surface of the insulating separator;
The sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: At least one of the plurality of metal terminal members is
An elongated frame main body extending in the axial direction;
An element abutting portion that extends from the front end side of the frame main body portion and at least a part of itself is disposed between the frame main body portion and the detection element, and abuts on the electrode terminal portion of the detection element;
With
The inner separator has a plate-shaped plate-like main body portion that comes into contact with the frame main body portion;
The sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The element contact portion includes a connecting portion connected to a tip of the frame main body portion,
At least a portion of the connecting portion is configured to elastically deform when an external force is applied by the detection element;
The sensor according to claim 6. The outer separator has a recess for arranging the plate-like main body portion of the inner separator in the element arrangement portion,
The plate-like main body portion of the inner separator is configured to be disposed in the concave portion by sliding toward the rear end side along the inner surface of the element arrangement portion from the front end side of the outer separator,
The sensor according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: The outer separator is
A position determining unit that performs positioning in the axial direction of the inner separator inside the element placement unit by contacting the plate-like main body of the inner separator on the rear end side of the recess;
The sensor according to claim 8. Of the plurality of electrode terminal portions, two electrode terminal portions adjacent to each other on the same surface of the detection element have different formation positions in the axial direction.
The plurality of metal terminal members are respectively disposed at positions connected to the electrode terminal portions to be connected;
The sensor according to claim 1, wherein: The detection element has a plurality of electrode terminal portions formed on the front and back surfaces on the rear end side,
A pair of the inner separators are provided and arranged on the front surface and the back surface of the detection element,
The sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: Of the plurality of electrode terminal portions, the electrode terminal portion formed on the surface of the detection element and the electrode terminal portion formed on the back surface of the detection element are arranged symmetrically with respect to the detection element,
The sensor according to claim 11. A detection element that has a plate shape extending in the axial direction, the front end side is directed to the measurement object, and a plurality of electrode terminal portions are formed on at least one plate surface of the rear end surface or the back surface;
A plurality of metal terminal members that are electrically connected to an external device and connected to the electrode terminal portion of the detection element;
An insulating material having an element arrangement part surrounding at least a part of the detection element and the metal terminal member, and insulating the electrode terminal part of the detection element and the metal terminal member in contact with each other inside the element arrangement part A separator;
A sensor comprising:
At least one of the plurality of metal terminal members is
An elongated frame main body extending in the axial direction;
An element abutting portion that extends from the front end side of the frame main body portion and at least a part of itself is disposed between the frame main body portion and the detection element, and abuts on the electrode terminal portion of the detection element;
With
The element contact portion includes a connecting portion connected to a tip of the frame main body portion,
At least a part of the connecting portion is configured to elastically deform when an external force is applied by the detection element,
Of the plurality of electrode terminal portions, two electrode terminal portions adjacent to each other on the same surface of the detection element have different formation positions in the axial direction.
The plurality of metal terminal members, the arrangement position in each axial direction is determined according to the formation position of the electrode terminal portion to be connected,
Sensor characterized by. The detection element has a plurality of electrode terminal portions formed on the front and back surfaces on the rear end side,
Of the plurality of electrode terminal portions, the electrode terminal portion formed on the surface of the detection element and the electrode terminal portion formed on the back surface of the detection element are arranged symmetrically with respect to the detection element,
The sensor according to claim 13.

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