Abstract: A mechanism for controlling the flow of air from an air-conditioning unit includes a row of guide vanes which are pivotally held by an outlet nozzle. The guide vanes are located at the lower end of an air course which has been formed within a body of the air-conditioning unit. The guide vanes control the flow of air in both left and right directions. This new design is characterized in that the angle of inclination of each guide vane progressively changes toward the end of the row. The air flow is controlled accurately in both the left and right directions so that the air flow reaches the desired location.

Abstract: A ceramic heater which can be produced easily, induces no increase of production cost and can restrict the resistance change of a heating body due to migration. According to the present invention, a gap is formed between a ceramic sintered body and a heating body. Thus, migration in which cations are seized within the gap is caused so as to impede the cations from entering into the heating body. This makes it difficult for the cations to migrate and the volume in which the heating body is expanded is secured by the gap 13.

Abstract: An oxygen concentration detector provides high durability by increasing the thermal stability of coating layers applied to an electrode face thereof. A catalyst layer is formed on an outer surface of an electrode at the analysis gas side of a partition wall made of an ion oxygen conductive ceramic for generating electromotive force according to the difference between the concentration of oxygen in the analysis gas and the concentration of oxygen in the reference gas. The catalyst layer is composed of heat resistant ceramic particles and a particulate metallic catalyst made of platinum, rhodium or the like, supported by the surface of the heat resistant ceramic particles. The catalyst layer is formed so that the catalyst is supported by the heat resistant support particles. The support particles are heat treated to grow to a particle size so that particle growth can be restrained when the support particles are exposed to the exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A measuring electrode and a reference plate are formed on the front and rear surfaces, respectively, of the electrolytic plate. The vent plate is provided with a vent channel. The heater base comprises a heating element. The electrolytic plate is made of a green sheet of zirconium oxide consisting of 5 to 7 molar % Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 and 0 to 5 parts by weight of aluminum oxide. The average particle diameter of the zirconium oxide powder is less than 2.0 .mu.m. The green sheet of zirconium oxide has a thickness of 50 to 300 .mu.m. The heater base is made of a green sheet of aluminum oxide consisting of aluminum oxide powder having an average particle diameter of less than 1.0 .mu.m and 0 to 10 parts by weight of zirconium oxide or yttria-stabilized zirconium oxide. The green sheet of aluminum oxide is at least 4 times the thickness of the green sheet of zirconium oxide. To complete the oxygen sensor, these four components are sintered together at 1300.degree. to 1600.degree. C. to be integrated.

Abstract: This invention aims at providing an oxygen concentration sensor having electrodes which are excellent in heat resistance and durability and maintain quick response. An electrode 26 on an exhaust side is formed on one of the side surfaces of a solid electrolyte 25, and an electrode 24 on an atmosphere side is formed on the other side surface. The electrode 26 on the exhaust side has a composite structure comprising a skeletal electrode 26a and a reaction electrode 26a. The skeletal electrode 26a has a film thickness of 5 to 20 .mu.m and a porosity of less than 10%, and is a heat-resistant thick film for primarily forming a skeletal region. In contrast, the reaction electrode 26b has a film thickness of 0.5 to 2 .mu.m and a porosity of 10 to 50%, and is a high response thin film for primarily forming a reaction region.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an oxygen sensor, in which in order to be strong against vibration and shocks as well as to make rapid heating possible and to be capable of rapidly performing correct detection, the oxygen sensor provided is composed of a sensor element having a body portion and a thin portion which is thinner than the body portion, a detecting element is formed at the thin portion for measuring oxygen concentration, and an exothermic element is provided for heating the detecting element.

Abstract: Outer air serving as a reference gas for determining oxygen concentration is guided to a hollow portion of a core. The core is formed in an insulating cylinder whose distal end is closed and whose proximal end is open to receive the reference gas. An opening is formed on the outer surface of the core, to communicate with the hollow portion. An oxygen concentration sensor element made of a solid-state electrolyte layer having first and second electrode layers one on each surface thereof is mounted such that it closes the opening. A sheet member made of an insulating sheet is wound around the sensor element mounted on the sensor element, and is fixed thereon. A window is formed in the sheet so as to expose the surface of the sensor element. A heater is formed around the window. Wiring layers respectively connected to both terminals of the heater are formed on the sheet. Wiring layers adapted to contact the first and second electrode layers of the sensor element are also formed on the sheet.

Abstract: An oxygen gas concentration-sensing device comprises a solid electrolyte body which is prepared from an oxygen ion-permeable metal oxide and whose first surface is exposed to the gas to be sensed and the second surface is exposed to a reference gas. First and second electrodes are respectively pressed against the first and second surface of the solid electrolyte body. The first electrode exposed to the gas is covered with a porous gas diffusion-resisting layer. This gas diffusion-resisting layer is chosen to have an average pore-size ranging from 300 .ANG. to 400 .ANG..

Abstract: A limiting current type oxygen analyzer designed for detecting oxygen concentration comprising a solid electrolyte element made from an oxygen ion conductive metal oxide and a pair of porous film electrodes provided on the inner and outer sides of said element respectively, at least one side electrodes being coated with a gas-diffusive resistive layer made from a porous insulating metal oxide, wherein the oxygen ions in the gas to which said element is exposed are caused to diffuse in the inside of said electrolyte element by applying a given voltage across said both electrodes and the limiting current corresponding to the concentration of said diffused oxygen ions is measured to determine the oxygen concentration in the gas to be analyzed, further characterized in that said gas-diffusive resistive layer is composed of a three-layer structure consisting of the first, second and third layers counted from the electrode side, said first layer having porosity of 11-15%, the second layer 6-8% and the third layer 1

Abstract: A device for sensing the oxygen concentration in an exhaust gas has a cup-like oxygen-ion permeable cylindrical member made of solid electrolyte consisting of oxygen-ion conducting metal oxide. The cylindrical member has an inner circumferential surface communicating with the atmosphere and an outer circumferential surface communicating with the exhaust gas for producing an electromotive force corresponding to a difference between the oxygen concentrations on the inner circumferential surface and on the outer circumferential surface and has a negative-resistance temperature characteristic. A pair of first electrodes serving as a lean sensor each comprise a thin film made of porous metal material and are provided on the inner circumferential surface and outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical member, respectively, in opposed relationship to each other. An oxygen-gas diffusion limiting layer covers the lean sensing electrode on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical member.

Abstract: An oxygen concentration sensor is provided for sensing a concentration of oxygen in a sensing gas, in which a solid reference material acting as a solid pole is housed within a container on the inner surface of which an electrode is provided. A sealing material having an output terminal is located to seal the entrance of the container so as to electrically connect the inner surface electrode to the output terminal through the sealing material.

Abstract: An oxygen concentration sensor including a solid electrolyte member having two portions, one portion being exposed to a gas of interest and the other portion being exposed to the atmosphere, an inner cover formed with a first space communicating portion arranged to communicate with the other portion of the solid electrolyte member, and a water-proof cover enclosing the inner cover to define a ventilating passage between the inner cover and the water-proof cover and formed with a second space communicating portion maintaining the first space communicating portion of the inner cover in communication with the atmosphere through the ventilating passage. The second space communicating portion of the water-proof cover is axially spaced apart from the first space communicating portion of the inner cover by a predetermined distance. Also included is structure to prohibit the flow of water through said ventilating passage. The second space communicating portion is separated from this structure.

Abstract: An oxygen sensor for detecting an oxygen concentration in a gas under test such as exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine of an automobile. The oxygen sensor comprises an oxygen concentration sensing element made of an oxygen ion conductive metal oxide which produces an electromotive force in accordance with a difference between an oxygen concentration in the gas under test and an oxygen concentration in a reference gas, a porous layer of refractory metal oxide formed on a surface of the oxygen concentration sensing element which is to be exposed to the gas under test, and an electrode formed thereon. The peel-off of the electrode is prevented and a high-response oxygen sensor is provided.

Abstract: An oxygen sensor having an oxygen-ion-conductive element made of a metal oxide with an outer electrode composed of three layers, one of which is the thinnest, second of which is the intermediate in thickness and the third of which is the thickest. This oxygen sensor maintains quick response characteristics over a long period of time.

Abstract: An oxygen sensor for detecting an oxygen concentration in exhaust gas such as that exhausted from an internal combustion engine, said sensor comprising a solid electrolyte made of an oxygen ion conducting metal oxide which is subjected to gas to be monitored and reference gas, e.g., atmosphere and generating an e.m.f. which corresponds to a difference between oxygen concentrations of both gases. Said solid electrolyte has conductive ribs acting as an auxiliary electrode strongly bonded to that surface thereof which is subjected to the exhaust gas.