Gas sensor

Abstract

To provide a gas sensor in which fracture of a terminal fitting at a rear end of a separator is suppressed.SOLUTION: A gas sensor 10 includes a plate-shaped sensor element 21 extending in an axial line O direction and including a plurality of electrode pads 21a, 21b on a main surface 20m1, 20m on a rear end side, a plurality of plate-shaped terminal fittings 71 electrically connected to the electrode pads, and a separator 50 having an accommodation part 50h to accommodate the rear end side of the sensor element and the terminal fitting while penetrating in the axial direction, and holding the terminal fitting. The electrode pads and the terminal fittings are aligned apart from each other in a width direction of the sensor element. When viewed from the axial direction, a vibration suppression member 80 that include an axial center of the separator and approaches or gets in contact with an inner side of the terminal fitting in a radial direction is disposed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas sensor that is suitably used for detecting the concentration of a specific gas contained in, for example, combustion gas or exhaust gas from a combustor, an internal combustion engine, or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Oxygen and NO in exhaust gases from automobiles, etc. x 2. Description of the Related Art As a gas sensor for detecting the concentration of a gas, there is known one having a plate-shaped sensor element using a solid electrolyte. One type of gas sensor that has been used is one in which multiple electrode pads are provided on the rear end side of the opposing main surfaces of a plate-shaped sensor element, and terminal fittings are electrically contacted to each of the electrode pads to extract a sensor output signal from the sensor element to the outside (Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the gas sensor of Patent Document 1, each terminal metal fitting is held by a two-part insulating connector (separator). This connector houses each terminal metal fitting in a box-shaped housing of the same shape, and the housings are aligned and fixed with a metal clamp. When the rear end side of the sensor element is inserted into the insertion hole of the connector, the terminal metal fitting inside the connector is in electrical contact with the electrode pad. On the other hand, at the rear end side of the connector, the insertion hole expands radially outwardly toward the rear-facing surface and in a direction perpendicular to the main surface of the sensor element, thereby preventing the terminal fittings drawn out to the rear end side of the connector from interfering with the inner surface of the connector. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-209104 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, it has been found that when the rear end of the connector is expanded in diameter, the gap between the terminal fitting and the connector becomes large, and the terminal fitting becomes susceptible to vibration and breakage within the connector due to vibrations, etc. caused during use of the gas sensor. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENTS Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a gas sensor in which breakage of the terminal fitting at the rear end side of the separator is suppressed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a gas sensor according to a first aspect of the present invention is a gas sensor comprising: a plate-shaped sensor element extending in an axial direction and having a plurality of electrode pads on a main surface of a rear end side thereof; a plurality of plate-shaped terminal fittings electrically connected to each of the electrode pads; and a separator having an accommodating portion penetrating in the axial direction to accommodate the rear end side of the sensor element and the terminal fittings, and holding the terminal fittings, wherein the plurality of electrode pads and the plurality of terminal fittings are arranged at a distance from each other in a width direction of the sensor element, and a vibration suppressing member is arranged in close proximity to or in contact with the radially inner side of the terminal fittings, including the axial center of the separator, when viewed from the axial direction.

[0007] The terminal metal fitting is plate-shaped, and its plate surface faces the main surface of the sensor element. Since the plate-shaped terminal metal fitting swings in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface, the terminal metal fitting is prone to swing inward in the radial direction (toward the center of the sensor element) and break when the gas sensor is vibrated during use. According to this gas sensor, the vibration suppressing member is disposed inside the expanded diameter portion, close to or in contact with the radially inner side of the terminal fitting including the axis of the separator when viewed from the axial direction. With this, since the vibration suppressing member is disposed radially inward of the terminal fitting, radial inward vibration of the terminal fitting is suppressed or reduced, and breakage of the terminal fitting can be suppressed.

[0008] In the gas sensor according to the first aspect of the present invention, the accommodating portion may have an expanding portion that expands in diameter in a direction perpendicular to the main surface as it approaches the rear-facing surface of the separator, and the vibration suppressing member may be disposed inside the expanding portion. According to this gas sensor, since the separator has a diameter-increasing portion whose diameter increases toward the rear-facing surface, it is easy to insert the vibration suppressing member into the diameter-increasing portion.

[0009] A gas sensor according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a plate-shaped sensor element extending in an axial direction and having a plurality of electrode pads on a main surface of a rear end side of the sensor element, a plurality of plate-shaped terminal fittings electrically connected to each of the electrode pads, a separator having an accommodating portion penetrating in the axial direction to accommodate the rear end side of the sensor element and the terminal fittings and holding the terminal fittings, and an elastic grommet arranged on the rear end side of the separator at a distance from the separator, the grommet having a rear end of the terminal fitting and a grommet hole through which a lead wire connected to the rear end is inserted, the plurality of electrode pads and the plurality of terminal fittings are arranged at a distance in a width direction of the sensor element, and when viewed from the axial direction, are adjacent to or in contact with a radially inner side of the terminal fittings, including an axis of the separator, and a vibration suppressing member is arranged between the separator and the grommet.

[0010] The terminal metal fitting is plate-shaped, and its plate surface faces the main surface of the sensor element. Since the plate-shaped terminal metal fitting swings in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface, the terminal metal fitting is prone to swing inward in the radial direction (toward the center of the sensor element) and break when the gas sensor is vibrated during use. According to this gas sensor, the vibration damping member is disposed adjacent to or in contact with the radially inner side of the terminal fitting including the axis of the separator when viewed from the axial direction, and between the separator and the grommet. With this, since the vibration suppressing member is disposed radially inward of the terminal fitting, radial inward vibration of the terminal fitting is suppressed or reduced, and breakage of the terminal fitting can be suppressed.

[0011] In the gas sensor according to the second aspect of the present invention, the housing portion may have a diameter increasing portion that increases in diameter in a direction perpendicular to the main surface as it approaches the rear-facing surface of the separator. According to this gas sensor, since the separator has a diameter-increasing portion whose diameter increases toward the rear-facing surface, it is easy to insert the vibration suppressing member into the diameter-increasing portion.

[0012] In the gas sensor of the present invention, a radially outward surface of the vibration suppressing member may be in contact with a radially inner surface of the terminal metal fitting. According to this gas sensor, the vibration suppressing member comes into contact with the radially inner side of the terminal fitting, so that it is possible to further suppress or reduce the radially inward vibration of the terminal fitting.

[0013] In the gas sensor of the present invention, the enlarged diameter portion may be formed with accommodating grooves extending in the axial direction to individually accommodate the terminal fittings, and the radially outward surface of the vibration suppression member may be formed with protrusions at positions corresponding to the accommodating grooves, the protrusions fitting into the accommodating grooves, and the individual terminal fittings may be held between the protrusions and the accommodating grooves. According to this gas sensor, each terminal metal fitting is held in the narrow space between the protrusion and the receiving groove. The terminal fittings are secured to the protruding portion by a groove formed on the protruding portion and the terminal fittings are supported by the grooves.

[0014] In the gas sensor of the present invention, at least a part of a radially outward surface of the vibration suppressing member may be tapered so as to increase in diameter toward the rear end side along the expanded diameter portion. According to this gas sensor, the tapered surface of the vibration suppressing member comes into surface contact with the enlarged diameter portion, and the vibration suppressing member is more firmly fixed to the inside of the enlarged diameter portion.

[0015] In the gas sensor of the present invention, the radially outward surface of the vibration suppressing member may have recesses for accommodating the individual terminal fittings. According to this gas sensor, the terminal fittings can be securely held in the recesses, and the breakage of the terminal fittings can be further suppressed. The outer surface of the recess is close to or in contact with the inner radial side of the terminal fittings, thereby suppressing the terminal fittings from deflecting radially inward. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, a gas sensor is obtained in which breakage of the terminal metal fitting at the rear end side of the separator is suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a gas sensor according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a perspective view of a vibration suppressing member according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a plan view showing the separator and the vibration suppressing member as viewed from the axial direction. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a gas sensor according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a vibration suppressing member according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 4 is a plan view showing the separator and the vibration suppressing member as viewed from the axial direction. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the gas sensor according to the first embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, a gas sensor 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view along axis O of a gas sensor (sensor) 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an oblique view of a separator 50, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line AA in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is an oblique view of a connection terminal 71, FIG. 5 is an oblique view of a vibration damping member 80, and FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the separator 50 and the vibration damping member 80 as viewed from the axis O direction.

[0019] 1, the gas sensor 10 includes a sensor element 20 that measures a specific gas component in a measurement target gas, a protector 30 that protects the tip end of the sensor element 20, and a sensor assembly 40 that includes a separator 50 that houses the rear end side of the sensor element 20. The gas sensor 10 is attached to, for example, an exhaust pipe of a vehicle and is used to measure gas components such as NOx and O2 contained in the measurement target gas (exhaust gas).

[0020] The sensor element 20 is a long, thin plate-like element extending in the direction of the axis O, and is formed by laminating ceramic substrates or the like made of oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte layers such as zirconia (ZrO2). The end of the sensor element 20 on the protector 30 side is referred to as the front end, and the end on the separator 50 side is referred to as the rear end.

[0021] On main surfaces 20m1 and 20m2 (FIGS. 2 and 3) on the rear end side of the sensor element 20, a plurality of electrode pads 21a and 21b (FIG. 3) are formed. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of electrode pads 21a are arranged on one main surface 20m1 of the sensor element 20 at a distance in the width direction of the sensor element 20, and similarly, a plurality of electrode pads 21b are arranged on the other main surface 20m2 of the sensor element 20 at a distance in the width direction of the sensor element 20. The electrode pads may be arranged on only one of the main surfaces 20m1 or 20m2 of the sensor element 20. The electrode pads 21a and 21b are used to apply a voltage to the sensor element 20, to output a detection signal of the sensor element 20, and, if the sensor element 20 has a heater, to energize the heater.

[0022] 1, the protector 30 is disposed so as to surround the periphery of the tip of the sensor element 20. The protector 30 includes an inner protector 31 that covers the tip of the sensor element 20, and an outer protector 32 that covers the inner protector 31. The inner protector 31 is formed in a cylindrical shape and includes an inner gas inlet 31a for introducing a gas to be measured into the tip of the sensor element 20. The outer protector 32 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom and includes an outer gas inlet 32a on the side for introducing a gas to be measured. The inner protector 31 and the outer protector 32 are made of a metal such as SUS.

[0023] The sensor assembly 40 includes a metallic main body 41 , a cylindrical inner cylinder 42 and an outer cylinder 46 which are fixed to the metallic main body 41 by welding, and a separator 50 which is connected to the rear end of the sensor element 20 . The metallic shell 41 is attached to, for example, an exhaust pipe of a vehicle by the male thread portion 41a. A plurality of ceramic sleeves 43a to 43c and powder filled layers 44a, 44b of talc or the like filled between the ceramic sleeves 43a, 43b and between the ceramic sleeves 43b, 43c are enclosed inside the inner cylinder 42. These are sandwiched and sealed between a metal ring 45 and the inner wall of the metallic shell 41.

[0024] The outer cylinder 46 covers the inner cylinder 42, the sensor element 20, and the separator 50. A rubber grommet 47 closes an opening on the rear end side of the outer cylinder 46. A lead wire 48 is connected by crimping or the like to a connection portion 71g (FIG. 4) on the rear end side of the terminal fitting 71, and the lead wire 48 passes through a grommet hole 47a that penetrates the grommet 47 in the axial O direction and is drawn out from the rear end of the grommet 47 to the outside. The connection portion 71g of the terminal fitting 71 and the lead wire 48 are inserted into the grommet hole 47a.

[0025] Next, a description will be given of the separator 50. As shown in Fig. 2, the separator 50 includes a first member 51a and a second member 51b made of ceramics such as sintered alumina, and a metal clamp 90 that clamps and fixes the first member 51a and the second member 51b. A terminal metal fitting 71 is held by the first member 51a or the second member 51b, and the terminal metal fitting 71 is disposed so as to be in contact with the electrode pads 21a, 21b of the sensor element 20 in a one-to-one facing relationship.

[0026] The first member 51a and the second member 51b each hold four terminal fittings 71 arranged in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (=axis O direction) of the terminal fittings 71. Since the first member 51a and the second member 51b have the same box-shaped configuration, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals in the following description. The first member 51a and the second member 51b are collectively referred to as the housing 51. The housing 51 has an accommodating portion 50h penetrating in the direction of the axis O, four locking grooves 52 for locking the tip side of the terminal fitting 71, four insertion holes 53 into which the central upright portion 71d of the terminal fitting 71 is inserted, and locking portions 54 formed within each insertion hole 53 for locking the terminal fitting 71.

[0027] The housing 51 has a protrusion 55 on one side in the width direction across the sensor element 20, and has regulating members 56, 57 on the other side for regulating the distance in the thickness direction between the first member 51a and the second member 51b (see FIG. 2). The protrusion 55 is inserted into a recess between the regulating members 56 and 57 of the opposing housing 51, thereby regulating the relative positions in the thickness direction between the first member 51a and the second member 51b.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, terminal fitting 71 is a metal member held by housing 51 at a position facing electrode pads 21a, 21b of sensor element 20 in a one-to-one relationship, and includes a tip portion 71a that is engaged with engagement groove 52 due to its curved shape, a protruding portion 71b that curves and protrudes toward sensor element 20, a contact portion 71c that curves and protrudes toward sensor element 20 to contact electrode pads 21a, 21b, an upright portion 71d that is inserted into insertion hole 53, a curved portion 71f that is pulled out to the outside of separator 50, and a connection portion 71g that crimps and holds multiple core wires 48a of lead wire 48 outside separator 50.

[0029] The protruding portion 71b and the contact portion 71c are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the terminal fitting 71, and the contact portion 71c is arranged closer to the connecting portion 71g than the protruding portion 71b. The protruding portion 71b and the contact portion 71c are both formed to be elastically deformable. The upright portion 71d has a locking portion 71e that is locked to the locking portion 54 by its curved shape. The contact portion 71c of the terminal fitting 71 held by the first member 51a is in contact with the electrode pad 21a of the sensor element 20 in a one-to-one opposing relationship, and the contact portion 71c of the terminal fitting 71 held by the second member 51b is in contact with the electrode 21b of the sensor element 20 in a one-to-one opposing relationship (Figure 3). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the electrode pads 21a and 21b are formed from the rear end of the sensor element 20 to a position between the contact portion 71c and the protruding portion 71b.

[0030] 2, the clamp 90 is made by bending a metal plate, and has an elastic force capable of clamping the first member 51a and the second member 51b and pressing them in a direction toward each other. When the first member 51a and the second member 51b are clamped by this elastic force, the regulating members 56, 57 of the first member 51a come into contact with the second member 51b, and the regulating members 56, 57 of the second member 51b come into contact with the first member 51a. This fixes the distance between the first member 51a and the second member 51b.

[0031] In addition, when the clamp 90 clamps the first member 51a and the second member 51b in a state in which the sensor element 20 and the terminal fitting 71 are sandwiched between the first member 51a and the second member 51b so that the contact portion 71c of the terminal fitting 71 faces the electrode pads 21a, 21b of the sensor element 20, the pressing force from the clamp 90 causes the protrusion portion 71b and the contact portion 71c to elastically deform, thereby clamping and fixing the sensor element 20. At this time, the protrusion 71b and the contact portion 71c elastically deform and press, thereby reliably clamping and fixing the sensor element 20. In addition, because the contact portion 71c elastically deforms, the electrical contact between the contact portion 71c and the electrode pads 21a and 21b can be more reliably maintained.

[0032] Next, the characteristic features of the present invention will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 3, the separator 50 has a receiving portion 50h penetrating in the direction of the axis O, and the receiving portion 50h receives the rear end side of the sensor element 20 and the terminal fitting 71. As shown in FIG. More specifically, the accommodating portion 50h opens in a rectangular shape that is slightly larger than the outer shape of the sensor element 20 at the front end surface of the housing 51, and communicates at its rear end with each insertion hole 53. The accommodating portion 50h may be an insertion hole that opens only at the front and rear ends of the housing 51. In this example, the accommodation portion 50h is formed by recessing a part of each of the opposing surfaces of the first member 51a and the second member 51b.

[0033] Furthermore, the housing portion 50h has an expanding portion 50s whose diameter expands in a direction perpendicular to the two main surfaces 20m1, 20m2 of the sensor element 20 (the vertical direction in FIG. 3) toward the rear-facing surface of the separator 50. Note that "towards a direction perpendicular to the principal surfaces 20m1, 20m2" means that it is sufficient to have a directional component perpendicular to the principal surfaces 20m1, 20m2, and includes those in which the degree of expansion of the expanded diameter portion 50s varies depending on the location. For example, it also includes those in which the expanded diameter portion 50s is not parallel to the principal surfaces 20m1, 20m2, those in which the expanded diameter portion 50s is a curved surface, those in which the expanded diameter portion 50s itself is parallel to the principal surfaces 20m1, 20m2 but the leading edge or trailing edge of the expanded diameter portion 50s is not parallel to the principal surfaces 20m1, 20m2 (those in which the lengths and positions of the line segments when the expanded diameter portion 50s is cut along the principal surfaces 20m1, 20m2 are different), and the like.

[0034] On the other hand, the terminal fitting 71 is plate-shaped, and its plate surface faces the main surfaces 20m1, 20m2 of the sensor element 20. Since the plate-shaped terminal fitting 71 swings in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface, the terminal fitting 71 swings radially inward (toward the center of the sensor element 20, in the IN direction in FIG. 3) and is likely to break due to vibrations during use of the gas sensor 10.

[0035] Therefore, when viewed from the direction of the axis O, the vibration suppressing member 80 is disposed adjacent to or in contact with the radially inner side of the terminal fitting 71 including the axis of the separator 50 and inside the expanded diameter portion 50s. As a result, the vibration suppressing member 80 is disposed radially inward of the terminal fitting 71, thereby suppressing or reducing vibration of the terminal fitting 71 radially inward (the IN direction in FIG. 3), thereby suppressing breakage of the terminal fitting 71.

[0036] In the example shown in FIG. 5, the vibration suppressing member 80 is made of an insulating material such as ceramic, heat-resistant rubber, or engineering plastic, and has a substantially rectangular plate shape. Furthermore, four protrusions 80p are formed at equal intervals on each of the opposing radially outward surfaces 80f of the vibration suppressing member 80, and the contour near the surfaces 80f is irregular.

[0037] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, in this example, the expanded diameter portion 50s of the separator 50 is formed with four accommodating grooves 50g that extend in the axial direction O and accommodate the terminal fittings 71 respectively. The protrusions 80p of the vibration suppressing member 80 are formed at positions corresponding to the accommodating grooves 50g. Therefore, when the vibration damping member 80 is positioned inside the expanded diameter portion 50s so that each protrusion 80p fits into the corresponding accommodating groove 50g, each terminal fitting 71 is held in the narrow space between the protrusion 80p and the accommodating groove 50g. This allows each terminal fitting 71 to be securely held between the protrusion 80p and the accommodating groove 50g, further preventing breakage of the terminal fittings 71. The distal end-facing surface of the protrusion 80p is in close proximity to or in contact with the radially inner side of the terminal fitting 71, thereby preventing the terminal fittings 71 from swinging outward in the radial direction.

[0038] In the example of FIG. 6, the protrusions 80p of the vibration damping member 80 are fitted into the accommodating grooves 50g of the expanded diameter portion 50s of the separator 50, so that the vibration damping member 80 is firmly fixed to the inside of the expanded diameter portion 50s. 5, a part of the radially outward surface 80p of the vibration damping member 80 (the outer surface of the convex portion 80p is also a radially outward surface) has a tapered surface 80s that expands in diameter toward the rear end side along the expanded diameter portion 50s. As a result, the tapered surface 80s comes into surface contact with the expanded diameter portion 50s, and the vibration damping member 80 is more firmly fixed to the inside of the expanded diameter portion 50s.

[0039] Next, a gas sensor 10B according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The gas sensor 10B according to the second embodiment is the same as the gas sensor 10 according to the first embodiment except for the vibration suppression member 180. Therefore, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0040] 7, in the gas sensor 10B, the vibration damping member 180 is sandwiched between the separator 50 and the grommet 47. Specifically, the vibration damping member 180 is pressed toward the separator 50 by the grommet 47, and thereby is held between the separator 50 and the grommet 47.

[0041] In the second embodiment, when viewed from the axis O direction, the vibration damping member 180 is arranged close to or in contact with the radially inner side of the terminal fitting 71, including the axis of the separator 50, and between the separator 50 and the grommet 47. As a result, the vibration suppressing member 180 is disposed radially inward of the terminal fitting 71, thereby suppressing or reducing vibration of the terminal fitting 71 radially inward (the IN direction in FIG. 3), thereby suppressing breakage of the terminal fitting 71.

[0042] Here, in the example shown in FIG. 8, the vibration suppressing member 180 is made of an insulating material such as ceramic, heat-resistant rubber, or engineering plastic, and has a substantially rectangular plate shape. Furthermore, four recesses 180g are formed at equal intervals on each of the opposing radially outward surfaces 180f of the vibration suppressing member 180, and the contour near the surface 180f is irregular.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 9, in this example, the terminal fittings 71 are held in the recesses 180g of the vibration damping member 180 between the separator 50 and the grommet 47. As shown in FIG. This allows each terminal fitting 71 to be securely held in the recess 180g, further preventing breakage of the terminal fittings 71. The outward surface of the recess 180g is in close proximity to or in contact with the radially inner side of the terminal fitting 71, thereby preventing the terminal fittings 71 from swinging outward in the radial direction.

[0044] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but covers various modifications and equivalents within the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, as shown in Fig. 10, in the gas sensor according to the first embodiment, the housing portion 50hB of the separator 50B does not need to have an expanded diameter portion. For example, in the separator 50B of Fig. 10, the rear end side of the housing portion 50hB has a straight portion 50p parallel to the main surfaces 20m1 and 20m2. FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of separator 50B corresponding to FIG. Similarly, in the gas sensor according to the second embodiment, the containing portion of the separator does not necessarily have to have the expanded diameter portion.

[0045] In addition, for example, the shape of the opposing radially outward surface of the vibration damping member may be flat instead of uneven. In this case, as shown in Fig. 6, a housing groove 50g may be provided in the expanded diameter portion 50s on the separator 50 side, and the flat surface of the vibration damping member may be brought into contact with the protrusion of the housing groove 50g. The separator 50 is not limited to being in the shape of a two-part box, but may be in the shape of a cylinder or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 10,10B Gas sensor 20 Sensor element 20m1, 20m2 Main surface of sensor element 21a, 21b Electrode pads 47 Grommet 47a Grommet hole 48 Lead Wire 50, 50B separator 50g storage groove 50h, 50hB storage section 50s expanded diameter part 71 Terminal fittings 80,180 Vibration suppression member 80f, 180f Radially outward surface of vibration suppression member 80p convex part 180g Concave O axis

Claims

1. a plate-shaped sensor element extending in the axial direction and having a plurality of electrode pads on a main surface on the rear end side; a plurality of plate-shaped terminal fittings electrically connected to the electrode pads, respectively; a separator having an accommodating portion penetrating in the axial direction and accommodating a rear end side of the sensor element and the terminal metal fitting, the separator holding the terminal metal fitting; A gas sensor comprising: the plurality of electrode pads and the plurality of terminal fittings are arranged at intervals in a width direction of the sensor element, A gas sensor comprising: a vibration suppressing member disposed adjacent to or in contact with a radially inner side of the terminal fitting, the vibration suppressing member including an axis of the separator, when viewed from the axial direction.

2. the housing portion has an expanding portion that expands in diameter in a direction perpendicular to the main surface as it approaches a rear-facing surface of the separator, 2. The gas sensor according to claim 1, wherein the vibration suppressing member is disposed inside the enlarged diameter portion.

3. a plate-shaped sensor element extending in the axial direction and having a plurality of electrode pads on a main surface on the rear end side; a plurality of plate-shaped terminal fittings electrically connected to the electrode pads, respectively; a separator having an accommodating portion penetrating in the axial direction and accommodating a rear end side of the sensor element and the terminal metal fitting, the separator holding the terminal metal fitting; an elastic grommet disposed on a rear end side of the separator and spaced apart from the separator; A gas sensor comprising: the grommet has a rear end of the terminal fitting and a grommet hole through which a lead wire connected to the rear end is inserted, the plurality of electrode pads and the plurality of terminal fittings are arranged at intervals in a width direction of the sensor element, A gas sensor characterized in that, when viewed from the axial direction, a vibration suppressing member is arranged close to or in contact with the radially inner side of the terminal fitting, including the axial center of the separator, and between the separator and the grommet.

4. 4. The gas sensor according to claim 3, wherein the housing portion has a diameter increasing portion that increases in diameter in a direction perpendicular to the main surface as it approaches the rear-facing surface of the separator.

5. 4. The gas sensor according to claim 1, wherein a radially outward surface of the vibration suppressing member is in contact with a radially inner surface of the terminal metal fitting.

6. The expanded diameter portion is formed with accommodation grooves extending in the axial direction and accommodating the terminal fittings individually, A radially outward surface of the vibration suppression member is formed with protrusions at positions corresponding to the accommodation grooves, 5. The gas sensor according to claim 2, wherein the protrusions are fitted into the accommodation grooves, and each terminal metal fitting is held between the protrusions and the accommodation grooves.

7. 5. The gas sensor according to claim 2, wherein at least a part of a radially outward surface of the vibration suppressing member is tapered so as to increase in diameter toward a rear end side along the expanded diameter portion.

8. 4. The gas sensor according to claim 1, wherein the radially outward surface of the vibration suppressing member has recesses for receiving the individual terminal fittings.

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