Gas Sensor Hollow Member Young's Modulus Constraint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas sensors have a high risk of breakage due to the distal end side member preventing the ceramic housing from moving, leading to interference and potential breakage of the sensor element and contact portions.
Innovation Solution
A gas sensor configuration that includes a hollow member with a Young's modulus between 193 and 206 GPa, positioned between the main metal fitting and the ceramic housing, to restrict the movement of the ceramic housing while minimizing the risk of breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the distal end side member extends longer toward the rear end side to prevent the separator from moving, then the separator is effectively constrained, but the sensor element and distal end side member interfere with each other when inclined, leading to breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hollow member as an intermediary component between the distal end side member and the separator. This hollow member has a specific Young's modulus (193-206 GPa) that allows it to act as a buffer, preventing direct contact and interference between the sensor element and the distal end side member while still maintaining effective constraint of the separator.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies a precise range for the Young's modulus of the hollow member (193-206 GPa). This parameter control ensures the hollow member has optimal mechanical properties to prevent breakage while maintaining constraint effectiveness. The specific modulus range balances flexibility and rigidity to resolve the contradiction.
2Ease of manufacture
If the distal end side member and separator are formed of similar ceramic materials, then manufacturing is simplified, but the contact portion becomes highly susceptible to breakage under impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining the ceramic distal end side member and separator with a hollow member of specific material properties (Young's modulus 193-206 GPa). This composite approach allows the ceramic components to maintain manufacturing simplicity while the hollow member provides impact resistance and prevents direct ceramic-to-ceramic contact that would lead to breakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow member serves as an intermediary between the ceramic distal end side member and separator, preventing direct contact between similar ceramic materials. This intermediary layer absorbs impact forces and eliminates the high breakage risk at contact portions while allowing the ceramic components to be manufactured from similar materials.
3Reliability
If the sensor element penetrates the distal end side member to connect with the terminal metal fitting, then electrical connection is achieved, but interference and breakage occur when the distal end side member is inclined
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow member acts as a protective intermediary that the sensor element penetrates instead of penetrating the rigid distal end side member directly. This provides the necessary electrical connection pathway while the hollow member's specific mechanical properties prevent interference and breakage when the assembly is inclined or subjected to external forces.
Data Source
AI summary
The ceramic housing is prevented from moving to the distal end side in the axial direction while suppressing the risk of breakage of the members constituting the gas sensor. A gas sensor according to one aspect of the present invention includes a hollow member disposed between a main metal fitting and a ceramic housing, and the hollow member is made of a material having a Young's modulus in a range from 193 to 206 GPa.