Abstract: A multi-diameter tubular body is cold-forged by forming a large-diameter hole portion in a formed body having a preliminary hole through subjection of the preliminary hole to deep hole forming and by punching out the bottom surface of the large-diameter hole portion to thereby form a small-diameter hole portion. Since a punch having a central protrusion on its forward end surface is used, an internal flaw is generated by dead metal in the inner circumferential surface of a depression, formed by the protrusion, in the bottom surface of the large-diameter hole portion. An outside diameter of a protrusion of a deep hole forming punch is rendered smaller than an inside diameter of the small-diameter hole portion to be formed later by punching out the bottom surface of the large-diameter hole portion. As a result, the internal flaw is removed when the small-diameter hole portion is formed.

Abstract: A wiring board includes: a ceramic board including a ceramic insulator layer composed mainly of ceramic, and a wiring disposed at the ceramic insulator layer; a first resin board and a second resin board each of which includes a resin insulator layer composed mainly of resin, and a wiring disposed at the resin insulator layer; and a metal member mounted to the second resin board. The first resin board is superposed to a first surface of the ceramic board. The second resin board is superposed to a second surface of the ceramic board opposite to the first surface of the ceramic board. The second resin board includes a joint pad at its first surface opposite to its second surface facing the ceramic board, the joint pad made of metal. The metal member is joined to the joint pad by brazing or soldering.

Abstract: A spark plug having excellent ignitability including a rod-shaped center electrode; a ground electrode that includes a facing portion facing a front end portion of the center electrode and forms a discharge gap between the facing portion and the front end portion of the center electrode; an insulator; a metal shell; and a cover portion that covers, from a front end side of the spark plug, the front end portion of the center electrode and the facing portion of the ground electrode to form a pre-chamber and includes injection holes that are through holes.

Abstract: In a sensor control device which controls a sensor, a first filter unit extracts a first filtered signal obtained by attenuating a frequency component higher than a first cutoff frequency from a digital signal indicating a current-application control value for a pump current, and a second filter unit extracts a second filtered signal obtained by attenuating a frequency component higher than a second cutoff frequency from the first filtered signal. A cutoff frequency setting unit sets at least one of the first cutoff frequency and the second cutoff frequency such that the sensor control device can control at least two types of sensors.

Abstract: A wiring board includes: an insulator layer composed mainly of ceramic; a conductor extending through the insulator layer in a thickness direction thereof; and an electrode pad disposed on a first surface of the insulator layer and connected electrically with the conductor, wherein: the electrode pad includes through holes extending through the electrode pad in a thickness direction thereof; and each of the through holes is positioned to avoid overlapping with the conductor in the thickness direction of the insulator layer.

Abstract: A sensor element (10) including: a measurement chamber (150); a pump cell (110) including a solid electrolyte (111), an inner electrode (113) exposed to the measurement chamber, and an outer electrode (112), the pump cell being configured to adjust an oxygen concentration in the measurement chamber; a diffusion resistance portion (151); and a detection cell (120) configured to measure a concentration of a specific gas in the measurement target gas after the adjustment of the oxygen concentration. The outer electrode is covered by a porous layer (114) and is disposed in a hollow space (10G) surrounded by a gas non-permeable dense layer 115, 118. The hollow space is in communication with an air introduction hole (10h) that is open on a rear side relative to the diffusion resistance portion. The outer electrode is exposed via the porous layer to air introduced through the air introduction hole.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a sensor element that includes: a pair of electrodes; a ceramic layer having a hollow space that is to be an air introduction hole; and a first layer and a second layer stacked at both surfaces of the ceramic layer, One of the electrodes is in communication with the hollow space, The method includes: preparing an unsintered ceramic sheet, and a burn-out material sheet having a thickness different from that of the unsintered ceramic sheet, the burn-out material sheet having, in a plane orthogonal to the direction of an axial line O, a cross-sectional area substantially identical to a cross-sectional area of the pre-sintering hollow space; placing the burn-out material sheet in the pre-sintering hollow space; pressing the sheets so as to have an identical thickness; and burning out the burn-out material sheet.

Abstract: A spark plug having excellent ignitability including a rod-shaped center electrode; a ground electrode that includes a facing portion facing a front end portion of the center electrode and forms a discharge gap between the facing portion and the front end portion of the center electrode; an insulator; a metal shell; and a cover portion that covers, from a front end side of the spark plug, the front end portion of the center electrode and the facing portion of the ground electrode to form a pre-chamber and includes injection holes that are through holes.

Abstract: A spark plug includes: a center electrode; a ground electrode that is provided such that a gap for spark discharge is formed between the center electrode and the ground electrode; and a plug cover covering the center electrode and the ground electrode from a front side. The plug cover has a through hole, wherein the plug cover includes a diameter reduction portion formed in a range of 0.1 mm or less from an outer open end of the through hole in a direction along a central axis of the through hole and having a diameter gradually decreasing from the outer open end toward an inner open end of the through hole. A relationship of 0 mm<x?y<0.2 mm is satisfied, where x is a diameter at the outer open end, and y is a diameter at an inner end of the diameter reduction portion.

Abstract: Disclosed is a wiring board including: an insulating substrate; a plurality of connection terminals arranged on the insulating substrate; and a plurality of non-conductive protruding parts respectively arranged on areas of the insulating substrate except areas on which the plurality of connection terminals are arranged. The non-conductive protruding parts has a height greater than that of the connection terminals.

Abstract: A microcomputer calculates the concentration of ammonia contained in exhaust gas. The microcomputer repeatedly obtains from a first ammonia detection section a first ammonia electromotive force EMF1 whose value changes with both the concentrations of ammonia and a flammable gas contained in the exhaust gas. The microcomputer outputs, as ammonia concentration information at the present point in time, ammonia concentration information representing the ammonia concentration at the point 0.5 sec prior to the present point in time. The microcomputer sets a rich spike flag Fs when a first ammonia electromotive force change amount ?EMF1 is smaller than a value obtained by multiplying a start determination value by ?1. When the rich spike flag Fs is set, the microcomputer sets the ammonia concentration information at the present point in time to the value of the ammonia concentration information at the point immediately before the rich spike flag Fs is set.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a spark plug so as to make welded portions uniform. A method, for manufacturing a spark plug having a ground electrode to which a tip is welded, includes: a preparation step of preparing the ground electrode in which a plating layer is formed so as to at least exclude a first portion to which the tip is to be welded; an application step of applying a laser beam or electron beam to the first portion of the ground electrode after the preparation step; and a joining step of joining the tip to the first portion of the ground electrode by resistance welding after the application step.

Abstract: A pressure sensor including: a cylindrical casing extending in an axial direction; a diaphragm joined to the distal end side of the casing, extending in a direction intersecting the axis of the casing and deforming in accordance with pressure received on the distal end side; and a sensor section disposed inside the casing and outputting an electric signal corresponding to the deformation of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is provided with a plate-shaped base part and three or more protruding parts protruding from the distal end side surface of the base part toward the distal end side and set apart from each other. The relationships 0.05?H?2.5T and 0.05?(S2/S1)?0.8 are satisfied, where T (thickness), H (length), S1 (area of base distal end surface) and S2 (total area of protruding distal end surfaces) are as defined herein.

Abstract: A spark plug including a ground electrode including a base material, a tip having a discharge surface, and a melt portion interposed over an entire area between the tip and the base material and joining the tip to the base material; and a center electrode with a spark gap formed between the center electrode and the discharge surface. The tip has, in an inner area surrounded by an outer peripheral portion of the tip, a thin portion in which a distance between the discharge surface and the melt portion is shorter than a distance between the discharge surface and the melt portion in the outer peripheral portion. The thin portion extends from a part of the outer peripheral portion to a part other than the part of the outer peripheral portion.

Abstract: A NOx sensor element includes: a first pump cell configured to adjust an oxygen concentration in a first measurement chamber; a diffusion resistance portion configured to adjust a diffusion rate of a measurement target gas introduced into the first measurement chamber; and a second pump cell in which a pump current corresponding to a NOx concentration in the measurement target gas after the adjustment of the oxygen concentration, flows. The first pump cell includes: a first solid electrolyte; an inner pump electrode containing a noble metal, and exposed to the first measurement chamber; and an outer pump electrode containing a noble metal, and disposed outside the first measurement chamber. The outer pump electrode contains not less than 22% by mass of a main component of the first solid electrolyte.

Abstract: A spark plug includes a tubular metallic shell having an attachment screw portion having an external thread. The attachment screw portion has a pitch diameter maximum portion at which the external thread has a maximum pitch diameter, the pitch diameter maximum portion being located on a rear end side of a center of the attachment screw portion in a direction along an axial line of the metallic shell, and a pitch diameter local maximum portion at which the external thread has a locally maximum pitch diameter, the pitch diameter local maximum portion being located on a forward end side of the pitch diameter maximum portion in the direction along the axial line.

Abstract: A spark plug includes a tubular metallic shell having an attachment screw portion having an external thread, an insulator disposed inside the metallic shell and having an axial hole, and a center electrode disposed in the axial hole. The attachment screw portion has a pitch diameter local maximum portion at which the external thread has a locally maximum pitch diameter. The pitch diameter local maximum portion is located on the forward end side of a rear end of the center electrode in a direction along an axial line of the metallic shell.

Abstract: A discharge control apparatus for controlling a flyback power supply circuit which includes a transformer having a primary coil and a secondary coil and performing voltage conversion, and a driver for controlling energization of the primary coil. The power supply circuit supplies electric energy to a plasma reactor. The discharge control apparatus calculates, based on primary current flowing through the primary coil and primary voltage generated in the primary coil, supply energy supplied to the primary coil and regeneration energy which is a portion of the supply energy not used for the discharge in the plasma reactor. The discharge control apparatus controls the power supply circuit based on the calculated supply energy and the calculated regeneration energy. Also disclosed is a method for controlling the flyback power supply circuit.

Abstract: A spark plug includes a tubular metallic shell having an attachment screw portion having an external thread. The attachment screw portion has a pitch diameter maximum portion at which the external thread has a maximum pitch diameter, the pitch diameter maximum portion being located on a rear end side of a center of the attachment screw portion in a direction along an axial line of the metallic shell, and a pitch diameter local maximum portion at which the external thread has a locally maximum pitch diameter, the pitch diameter local maximum portion being located on a forward end side of the pitch diameter maximum portion in the direction along the axial line.

Abstract: An optical wavelength converter (1) is configured such that an optical wavelength conversion member (9) is bonded to a heat dissipation member (13) having superior heat dissipation property. Thus, heat generated by light incident on the optical wavelength conversion member (9) can be efficiently dissipated. Therefore, even when high-energy light is incident on the optical wavelength converter, temperature quenching is less likely to occur, and thus high fluorescence intensity can be maintained. An intermediate film (21) is disposed between a reflective film (19) and a bonding portion (15). The presence of the intermediate film (21) improves the adhesion between the reflective film (19) and the bonding portion (15), thereby enhancing the heat dissipation from the optical wavelength conversion member (9) to the heat dissipation member (13). Thus, the temperature quenching of the optical wavelength conversion member (9) can be prevented, thereby enhancing fluorescence intensity.