Gas Sample Sensor Patents (Class 204/424)
  • Patent number: 11953463
    Abstract: There is provided a method of producing a gas sensor element capable of detecting a concentration of specific ions based on a limiting current passing between a first electrode and a second electrode according to a concentration difference of the specific ions. The method includes a temperature raising step, a current measuring step and a control step. In the temperature raising step, a heater is energized to raise temperature of a solid electrolyte. In the current measuring step, a voltage is applied across the first and second electrodes and to measure a limiting current. In the control step, a part of a diffusion resistance layer is removed from the gas sensor element by using an ultrashort pulsed laser to control a diffusion length that is a length of an introduction path to maintain the limiting current to be within a final standard range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazutoshi Kodama
  • Patent number: 11953444
    Abstract: Disclosed are a zero-power detecting sensor of a chemical substance and a sensing method. As light is irradiated to the detecting sensor including a graphene, a light absorbing layer, and an electrode stacked, the chemical substance is detected without power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Korea University Research and Business Foundation
    Inventors: Chulho Lee, Haeli Park
  • Patent number: 11946897
    Abstract: A gas sensor is provided which has improved responsiveness and is capable of improving accuracy in measurement of an imbalance between cylinders. The gas sensor includes a solid electrolyte having oxygen ion conductivity, a measurement electrode mounted on one principal surface of the solid electrolyte and is exposed to measurement gas, and a reference electrode mounted on the other principal surface of the solid electrolyte and exposed to reference gas A. Interface capacitance between crystal particles constituting the solid electrolyte is not more than 150 ?F. Interface resistance between the crystal particles constituting the solid electrolyte and each of the measurement electrode and the reference electrode is not more than 80 ?. The measurement electrode has a film thickness t1 of 2 to 8 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihide Segawa, Junta Zushi
  • Patent number: 11927582
    Abstract: A method for testing a gas sensor and a gas sensor are disclosed. In an embodiment a method for testing at least one gas sensor includes exposing in a first measurement the gas sensor to a test gas under first gas conditions including a first pressure and exposing in a second measurement the gas sensor to the test gas under second gas conditions including a second pressure, the second gas conditions being different from the first gas conditions, wherein the second pressure is different from the first pressure, and/or wherein the gas sensor is exposed to an intermediate pressure different from the first pressure between the first measurement and the second measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventor: Matthias König
  • Patent number: 11921079
    Abstract: A gas sensor sensing a sensing target gas component contained in a measurement gas and identifying concentration of the sensing target gas component includes: a sensor element having an inlet for the measurement gas on one end portion, and including: an element base made of an oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte; a heater buried in the element base; and a porous leading-end protective layer covering a predetermined range of the element base on the one end portion; and a metallic member within which the sensor element is fixedly disposed, wherein a minimum distance between the sensor element and an inner surface of the metallic member is 0.20 mm or more and 0.95 mm or less, and a portion of the inner surface of the metallic member closest to the sensor element has an arithmetic average roughness of 5 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventor: Ryo Onishi
  • Patent number: 11913900
    Abstract: A sensor element includes: an element base including: a ceramic body made of an oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte, and having an inlet at one end portion thereof; at least one internal chamber located inside the ceramic body, and communicating with the inlet under predetermined diffusion resistance; an electrochemical pump cell including an electrode located on an outer surface of the ceramic body, an electrode facing the internal chamber, and a solid electrolyte located therebetween; and a heater buried in the ceramic body; and a porous leading-end protective layer surrounding a first range at least including a leading end surface and a region to be coped with water-induced cracking specified in advance. A single heat insulating space is interposed between the leading-end protective layer and a whole side surface of the element base at least in the above region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Watanabe, Mika Kai, Ryo Onishi, Saki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11846602
    Abstract: A gas sensor has a sensor element, a main metal fitting and a buffer fitting made of metal materials. The sensor element has a solid electrolyte body of a cylindrical shape, an outer electrode formed on at least an outer peripheral surface of the solid electrolyte body and a front end side surface of the projecting part, and a porous ceramic layer formed on the front end side surface of the projecting part. The main metal fitting has an insert hole through which the sensor element is inserted and a stair-shaped part projects inwardly from an inner peripheral surface of the insert hole toward a radial direction of the main metal fitting. The buffer fitting is arranged between the porous ceramic layer and the stair-shaped part, and the metal materials which form the buffer fitting have a depassivation pH value of less than 1.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryoji Fujiwara, Shusaku Kato
  • Patent number: 11843204
    Abstract: Disclosed is a signal processing circuit, a contactless connector, a signal processing method and a storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Qijun Xie, Yongyou Yang, Qingbo Liu, Qingyun Di, Linfeng Hong
  • Patent number: 11824238
    Abstract: An illustrative example system for managing hydrogen utilization in a fuel cell power plant includes a first hydrogen concentration sensor that provides an indication of a first concentration of hydrogen in a fluid flowing into an anode inlet of the power plant. A second hydrogen concentration sensor provides an indication of a second concentration of hydrogen in a fluid flowing out of an anode exit of the power plant. A processor determines a utilization of hydrogen by the power plant based on the first and second concentrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: HYAXIOM, INC.
    Inventors: Ioana Stanescu, Joshua Preston, Paul Margiott
  • Patent number: 11733202
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes: a metal tubular body including a through hole allowing a sensor element to penetrate in an axial direction; and a powder compact being filled between an inner surface of the tubular body constituting the through hole and the sensor element, and sealing between both end portion sides of the sensor element. At least a range of a through hole inner surface to come into contact with the powder compact filled between the inner surface and the sensor element is a stripe-like recessed and projecting region in which projecting portions and recessed portions are alternately arranged in the axial direction and those portions extend along an inner circumferential direction of the tubular body. An interval between the projecting portions in the axial direction is 50 ?m to 150 ?m. The following expressions are satisfied, 0.3 ?m?Rz1?10 ?m, and Rz1/Rz2?2.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Adachi, Yuka Wada
  • Patent number: 11733201
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes a solid electrolyte body with oxygen ion conductivity, a gas flow portion (ranging from a gas inlet port to a second inner cavity), a particular gas detector (including a main pump cell, a measurement pump cell, an auxiliary pump cell, etc.), and a control device. Prior to startup of the gas sensor, the control device sets electric power supplied to a heater such that a temperature difference between a temperature of the heater and a preset target temperature becomes zero, and determines, on the basis of the set electric power, whether temperature raising control of supplying the set electric power to the heater is to be executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Ryo Onishi, Yasuhide Kojima
  • Patent number: 11714062
    Abstract: A gas sensor element for detecting a specific gas component in a measured gas, comprising: an element body in the form of a long plate having a gas detection part at an end thereof on a distal end face side in a longitudinal direction; and a porous protective layer covering an outer periphery of the end on said end face side of the element body, wherein in a cross section including two adjacent ones of the end face and side faces connected to the end face, an outer surface of the protective layer facing an element corner where the two faces meet has a shape with a corner part, and a ratio of an assumed diameter of a water droplet contained in the measured gas in a use environment to an effective length of the corner part in the cross section is equal to or larger than 1.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomotaka Mouri, Shota Imada, Toru Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11692986
    Abstract: A sensor element includes element main body including side surfaces, a detection unit, connector electrodes disposed on the rear end-side part of the side surfaces, a porous layer that covers at least front end-side part of the side surface, the porous layer having a porosity of 10% or more, and a water-penetration reduction portion. The water-penetration reduction portion is disposed on the side surface so as to divide the porous layer or to be located closer to the rear end than the porous layer. The length L of the water-penetration reduction portion is 0.5 mm or more. The water-penetration reduction portion includes, among a dense layer covering the side surface and having a porosity of less than 10% and a gap region in which the porous layer is absent, at least the dense layer. The water-penetration reduction portion reduces the capillarity of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Nakayama, Shota Kageyama, Yusuke Fujii, Kei Kosaka
  • Patent number: 11680923
    Abstract: Methods, electrodes, and electrochemical devices using surface-modified pseudo-graphite are disclosed. In one illustrative embodiment, a method may include depositing a pseudo-graphite material onto a surface of an electrode substrate to produce a pseudo-graphite material surface. The method may also include modifying the pseudo-graphite material surface to alter electrochemical characteristics of the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignees: ABB SCHWEIZ AG, UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO
    Inventors: Nolan Nicholas, Ignatius Cheng, Haoyu Zhu, Jeremiah D. Foutch, Yixin Liu, Saumya Sharma
  • Patent number: 11666877
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pressure vessel, having: a reaction chamber (2) as a pressure space for the initiation and/or facilitation of chemical and/or physical pressure reactions of samples (P) accommodated in the reaction chamber (2); a fluid inlet (20) with a feed valve (21) which is adjustable between an open position, for the feed of a fluid, preferably a flushing gas, into the reaction chamber (2), and a closed position, for stopping the feed of the fluid; a fluid outlet (30) with a discharge valve (31), which is adjustable between an open position, for the discharge of a fluid out of the reaction chamber (2), and a closed position, for stopping the discharge of the fluid out of the reaction chamber (2); and an oxygen sensor (33) for detecting an oxygen content in the reaction chamber (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: MWT AG
    Inventors: Werner Lautenschläger, Jens Lautenschläger, Werner Scholze
  • Patent number: 11656151
    Abstract: The probability of a heater portion of a sensor element being exposed to water is lowered. The sensor element includes a built-in heater that extends in a longitudinal direction and a surrounding housing extending in the longitudinal direction. The heater includes a heat generation portion and a lead portion. The heat generation portion has a front end and a rear end, and is positioned on the same side as a front end portion side of the sensor element. The housing includes an enlarged diameter portion having a diameter of an inner wall that increases in a direction toward the front end of the sensor. The enlarged diameter portion includes a front end portion and a rear end portion. The rear end of the heat generation portion is located closer to the front end of the sensor than the rear end portion of the enlarged diameter portion is.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Watanabe, Shotaro Niizuma, Hayami Aota, Toshihiro Hirakawa, Kirari Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11541737
    Abstract: Provided is a gas detection device that includes a gas sensor, a power supply circuit that applies voltage to the gas sensor, and a control circuit that determines whether a leak of gas is present. The power supply circuit includes a reset power source that generates a first voltage, and a detection power source that generates a detection voltage for measuring resistance of a metal-oxide layer of the gas sensor. When a value of a current flowing through the metal-oxide layer is a predetermined value ITH or greater, the reset power source applies the first voltage to the gas sensor to perform a reset of resetting the metal-oxide layer of the gas sensor to a high-resistance state, and the control circuit determines that a leak of gas is present, depending on a state in which the reset is performed after the reset is performed for the first time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
    Inventors: Shunsaku Muraoka, Kazunari Homma, Koji Katayama, Zhiqiang Wei
  • Patent number: 11536687
    Abstract: A sensor element includes an element body including an oxygen-ion-conductive solid electrolyte layer, the element body having a longitudinal direction, a measurement electrode disposed in the element body, a reference electrode disposed in the element body so as to come into contact with a reference gas, and a heater configured to heat the solid electrolyte layer. A center of gravity of the reference electrode overlaps the measurement electrode as viewed in a thickness direction of the solid electrolyte layer. A length of each of the reference electrode and the measurement electrode in a front-rear direction is less than or equal to 1.1 mm, the front-rear direction being a direction along the longitudinal direction of the element body. An area of the reference electrode as viewed in the thickness direction is greater than or equal to 1.0 mm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Watanabe, Shiho Iwai
  • Patent number: 11486851
    Abstract: A gas sensor comprises an electrochemical film, a plurality of electrodes coupled with the electrochemical film and a semiconductor wafer coupled with the plurality of electrodes. A passivation layer is formed between the electrochemical firm and the semiconductor wafer and a dielectric layer is coupled between the electrochemical film and the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: ams AG
    Inventors: Filip Frederix, Erik Jan Lous
  • Patent number: 11474089
    Abstract: A sensor element includes element main body including side surfaces, a detection unit, connector electrodes disposed on the rear end-side part of the side surfaces, a porous layer that covers at least front end-side part of the side surface, the porous layer having a porosity of 10% or more, and a water-penetration reduction portion. The water-penetration reduction portion is disposed on the side surface so as to divide the porous layer or to be located closer to the rear end than the porous layer. The length L of the water-penetration reduction portion is 0.5 mm or more. The water-penetration reduction portion includes, among a dense layer covering the side surface and having a porosity of less than 10% and a gap region in which the porous layer is absent, at least the dense layer. The water-penetration reduction portion reduces the capillarity of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Nakayama, Shota Kageyama, Yusuke Fujii, Kei Kosaka
  • Patent number: 11428654
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for predicting corrosion and spontaneous combustion of sulfur-related petrochemical equipment. The method solves the issues in the existing techniques that includes narrow predicting range, high workload in installation and maintenance, and time lag in predicting corrosion and spontaneous combustion inside equipment. The method comprises a step of a dual index system prediction, which includes a step of monitoring a temperature and a step of detecting SO2 gas generated by spontaneous combustion. The time when spontaneous combustion occurs can be accurately calculated by using a fitted quantitative relationship formula generated by the spontaneous combustion of corrosion products. The method has a low Labor cost. The method has a low labor cost and, does not require on-site gas detection to be carried out by means of manual detection, which both reduces the cost and ensures the detection accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: NANJING TECH UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Zhirong Wang, Shuoxun Shen, Shengping Zhao, Juncheng Jiang, Xue'e Zhao, Zhan Dou
  • Patent number: 11422069
    Abstract: A sensor device includes an element cover at the tip end of a housing, retaining a sensor element. An outer cover is provided with outer side holes, with the tip position of the outer side holes being farther toward the tip end than is the tip position of an inner cover, and a first flow passage having a gas flow direction that is at right angles to the axial direction is formed at the inner side of the outer cover. An inner side hole in the inner cover is open to a second flow passage provided between the side surfaces of the inner cover and the outer cover, and a detection surface of the sensor element is located on an extension line in an extension direction of a guide member which extends obliquely into the interior of the inner cover from the tip-position edge of the inner side hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuto Tamei, Takashi Araki, Hirofumi Noda, Takehito Kimata, Koichi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11415544
    Abstract: A sensor element includes: an element base including: a ceramic body made of an oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte, and having a gas inlet at one end portion thereof; at least two internal chambers located inside the ceramic body, and communicating with the gas inlet under predetermined diffusion resistance; an electrochemical pump cell including an electrode located on an outer surface of the ceramic body, an electrode facing the internal chambers, and solid electrolytes located therebetween; and a heater buried in the ceramic body; and a porous leading-end protective layer surrounding a first range at least including a part from a leading end surface to two internal chambers close to the gas inlet of the element base. A single heat insulating space is interposed between the leading-end protective layer and a portion of the element base in which the two internal chambers are located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Watanabe, Mika Kai, Ryo Onishi, Saki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11391691
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensor element and one or more hollow columnar dense bodies. The sensor element includes an element main body having a side surface, a porous layer and a water-penetration reduction portion that cover at least a front end-side part of the side surface. The water-penetration reduction portion disposed on the side surface so as to divide the porous layer or to be located closer to the rear end than the porous layer, an overlap length W that is the length of a continuous overlap between a range in which the water-penetration reduction portion is present in a longitudinal direction and a range in which inner peripheral surfaces of the one or more dense bodies are present in the longitudinal direction being 0.5 mm or more, and having a dense layer covers the side surface, the water-penetration reduction portion reduces the capillarity of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Nakayama, Shota Kageyama, Yusuke Fujii, Kei Kosaka
  • Patent number: 11391689
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensor element and one or more hollow columnar dense bodies. The sensor element includes an element main body having a side surface, a porous layer and a water-penetration reduction portion that cover at least a front end-side part of the side surface. The water-penetration reduction portion disposed on the side surface so as to divide the porous layer an overlap length W that is the length of a continuous overlap between a range in which the water-penetration reduction portion is present in the longitudinal direction and a range in which inner peripheral surfaces of the one or more dense bodies are present in the longitudinal direction being 0.5 mm or more, the water-penetration reduction portion being a gap region in which the porous layer is absent, the water-penetration reduction portion reduces the capillarity of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Nakayama, Shota Kageyama, Yusuke Fujii, Kei Kosaka
  • Patent number: 11371951
    Abstract: A gas sensor comprises a set of one or more sensor cells (SC) and a substrate (1). Each sensor cell (SC) of the set comprises a sensitive film (42) built from a sensitive material (4) covering an area of the substrate (1). One or more elevated structures (2) are manufactured in or around said area for preventing the sensitive material (4) to expand when being applied thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Sensirion AG
    Inventors: Felix Mayer, Markus Graf, Lukas Burgi, Martina Hitzbleck, Ulrich Muecke
  • Patent number: 11360043
    Abstract: A sensor element includes: an element base including: a ceramic body made of an oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte, and having an inlet at one end portion thereof; at least one internal chamber located inside the ceramic body, and communicating with the inlet under predetermined diffusion resistance; an electrochemical pump cell including an electrode located on an outer surface of the ceramic body, an electrode facing the internal chamber, and a solid electrolyte located therebetween; and a heater buried in the ceramic body; and a porous leading-end protective layer surrounding a first range at least including a leading end surface and a region to be coped with water-induced cracking specified in advance. A single heat insulating space is interposed between the leading-end protective layer and a whole side surface of the element base at least in the above region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Watanabe, Mika Kai, Ryo Onishi, Saki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11355786
    Abstract: Provided is a sodium ion conductor whose sodium ion conductivity is improved more than the conventional. The sodium ion conductor is a molecular crystal constituted of NaCB9H10, NaCB11H12, and a sodium halide, the sodium halide having a mol fraction of more than 0 and at most 70 on the basis of the total mol ratio of NaCB9H10, NaCB11H12, and the sodium halide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masato Hozumi, Shin Ushiroda, Keita Niitani, Hiroko Kuwata
  • Patent number: 11356315
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to dynamically control devices based on distributed data are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a comparator to compare a first measurement measured by a first peer device to a second measurement, the second measurement being measured locally by the apparatus; and an operation adjuster to, when the comparison satisfies a threshold, adjust a measurement protocol of the first peer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Rita Wouhaybi, Rajesh Poornachandran
  • Patent number: 11287405
    Abstract: A sensor device includes a gas sensor disposed on a first substrate, a heating element disposed within the first substrate, a processor operatively coupled to the gas sensor and the heating element, and a memory storing a program to be executed by the processor. The gas sensor is configured to measure first sensor data points and second sensor data points. The gas sensor overlaps the heating element. The program includes instructions for performing the following steps in real-time: recording first resistance values and second resistance values of the heating element; adjusting the second sensor data points using the first sensor data points, the first resistance values, and the second resistance values to obtain corrected sensor data points; and determining sensed values from the corrected sensor data points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Prashanth Makaram, Abidin Güçlü Onaran
  • Patent number: 11268923
    Abstract: A sensor system for detecting mass deposition from a gaseous environment includes a first sensor element including a first electrically conductive heating component and a first interface structure on the first electrically conductive heating component. The sensor system further includes electronic circuitry in connection with the first electrically conductive heating component. The electronic circuitry is configured to provide energy to the first electrically conductive heating component to heat the first sensor element and to measure a thermodynamic response of the first sensor element, which varies with mass deposition of one or more compositions on the first interface structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: MSA Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Meghan E. Swanson, Daniel D. Santoro, Jr., Michael Alvin Brown, Mark Fiori Zanella, Sr.
  • Patent number: 11251505
    Abstract: A battery module according to the present disclosure includes a cell assembly including a plurality of battery cells stacked in a vertical direction, each battery cell having an electrode lead in a shape of a plate that protrudes forward in a depth direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, the electrode lead being bent for surface contact in the vertical direction with an adjacent electrode lead, the electrode lead having a protruding part that protrudes forward in the depth direction from a front side end thereof, and a sensing terminal module having a plurality of sensing terminals made of an electrically conductive material and a plurality terminal seating holes in which corresponding ones of the sensing terminals are seated and supported, the protruding part of each electrode lead being press-fit into a corresponding one of the sensing terminals which compresses around the protruding part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Inventors: Eun-Gyu Shin, Jung-Hoon Lee, Jeong-O Mun, Byoung-Cheon Jeong
  • Patent number: 11251445
    Abstract: A system for estimating purge of a fuel cell includes the fuel cell for generating power by receiving hydrogen at an anode side, and receiving oxygen at a cathode side, a recirculation line connected with the anode side of the fuel cell, and in which gas containing hydrogen therein is circulated, a purge valve positioned in the recirculation line, and for discharging the gas in the recirculation line to outside as the purge valve is opened, a differential pressure calculator for calculating a differential pressure between a front end and a rear end of the purge valve, a speed estimator for estimating a current gas diffusion speed in the recirculation line, and a purge amount estimator for estimating the amount of purge through the purge valve by using the differential pressure calculated by the differential pressure calculator and the gas diffusion speed estimated by the speed estimator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Soon Woo Kwon, Ik Jae Son
  • Patent number: 11156578
    Abstract: A fluid-property detection device includes a first electrode, a second electrode provided so as to face the first electrode, and an insulating member provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, the insulating member being configured to insulate between the first electrode and the second electrode. The insulating member is provided with a reduced-thickness portion for forming a hollow portion between the first electrode and the second electrode in a region in which the first electrode and the second electrode are not exposed to the detection target fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: KYB CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yukinori Kameda
  • Patent number: 11090153
    Abstract: An implantable device is disclosed. The device includes a two or three-piece frame assembly that is configured to be delivered in a series configuration and subsequently nested or telescoped in-situ.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua C. Haarer, Cody L. Hartman, Roy Manygoats, Jr., Ryan S. Titone, Eric M. Tittelbaugh
  • Patent number: 11054388
    Abstract: In a gas sensor, a pump cell adjusts a concentration of oxygen in a gas chamber based of a pump cell supply voltage. A sensor cell detects a concentration of a specific gas in a detection target gas after the pump cell has adjusted the concentration of oxygen. In a sensor control unit, a voltage switching part adjusts the pump cell supply voltage to be supplied to the pump cell. A pump cell output control part adjusts a variation range of a pump cell output current of the pump cell before and after a voltage switching process of the pump cell supply voltage to be within a predetermined variation range. A deteriorated state detection part detects a deteriorated state ratio of the sensor cell based on variation of an output current of the sensor cell due to the voltage switching process performed by the voltage switching part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadakatsu Koyabu, Tomoo Kawase, Yuki Murayama, Ryozo Kayama, Akari Hasegawa, Shoki Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11028245
    Abstract: Porous air permeable expanded PTFE composite with enhanced mechanical and thermal properties are described. The node and fibril microstructure of expanded PTFE is coated on and within the node and fibril microstructure with a suitably chosen polymer to impart property enhancement while maintaining porosity. The coating polymer content of the composite is maintained between 3 and 25 weight percent of the composite and the areal mass of the composite is less than 75 gm/m2. Exemplary enhancement to properties may include, among others, Average Tensile Strength (ATS) (in MPa)×Z strength (in MPa) of 50 MPa2 or greater, preferably 100 MPa2 or greater, with air flow less than 500 Gurley seconds. Coating polymers with appropriate temperature resistance provides composites which further exhibit shrinkage of less than 10% at temperatures up to 300° C. with air flow of less than 500 Gurley seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Anit Dutta, Leslie N. Rikleen
  • Patent number: 11029277
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes: a sensor element including a bottomed tubular solid electrolyte, a detection electrode, and a reference electrode; and a heater for heating the solid electrolyte. The reference electrode includes an inner detection section on an entire periphery in a circumferential direction at an endmost position on a tip side on the reference electrode, an inner connecting section on an entire periphery in the circumferential direction at an endmost position on a base end side on the reference electrode, and an inner lead section on a part in the circumferential direction at a position where the inner detection section is connected to the inner connecting section. A formation region in the circumferential direction of the inner lead section is reduced stepwise from the inner detection section toward the inner connecting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Saito
  • Patent number: 10976280
    Abstract: An electrochemical gas sensor has a planar ceramic housing having a recess, a MEA, first and second electrically conductive gas diffusion membranes, and a metal lid fixed on the housing so as to cover the recess. The MEA is provided with an ionic conductive membrane, a first electrode on a surface of the membrane, and a second electrode on the opposite surface of the membrane. The first electrically conductive gas diffusion membrane is electrically connected to the first electrical connection. The second electrically conductive gas diffusion membrane is electrically connected to the second electrical connection. The lid presses the second electrically conductive gas diffusion membrane toward the MEA, and in the lid or in the bottom of the housing, a gas inlet is provided. The electrochemical gas sensor is easily made compact, small in the variations in the performances, and easily installed on a print circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Figaro Engineering Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Yamamoto, Kuniyuki Izawa
  • Patent number: 10955376
    Abstract: A sensor element includes: a main pump cell constituted by an inner pump electrode facing the first inner space into which a measurement gas is introduced, an external pump electrode provided on an element surface, and a solid electrolyte located therebetween; a measurement electrode facing a second inner space communicating with the first inner space and functioning as a reduction catalyst for NOx; and a measurement pump cell constituted by the measurement electrode, the external pump electrode, and a solid electrolyte located therebetween. A diffusion resistance from the gas inlet to the inner pump electrode ranges from 200-1000 cm?1, a resistance of the main pump cell is equal to or smaller than 150?, a distance between the electrodes ranges from 0.1-0.6 mm, and the inner pump electrode which is a cermet made of an Au—Pt alloy and ZrO2 has an area ranging from 5-20 mm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Watanabe, Takayuki Sekiya, Yuki Nakayama, Shota Kageyama
  • Patent number: 10948467
    Abstract: Provided is an online centralized monitoring and analysis system using an electronic nose instrument for multi-point malodorous gases, and the system includes an electronic nose instrument, which connects with multiple monitoring points through pipes. On-site malodorous gases in the maximum range of 2.5 km are drawn into the electronic nose instrument within 1 min by the external vacuum pump, and forced to flow through an annular working chamber of a gas sensor array for 30 s by the internal vacuum pump periodically. The modular convolution neural networks online learn the recent time-series responses of the gas sensor array and predict their coming responses, and the modular deep neural networks offline set up the relationship between the responses and multiple concentration items according to odor big data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: East China University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Daqi Gao, Xiaoqin Zhang, Zejian Wang, Liming Zhao
  • Patent number: 10935514
    Abstract: Low power combustible gas sensors using a thermocouple design are provided. In one aspect, a combustible gas sensor includes: at least one first electrode; at least one second electrode formed from a dissimilar material from the first electrode; and a catalytic material at an active reaction junction between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the active reaction junction between the first electrode and the second electrode forms a thermocouple. A sensing device is including, e.g., multiple sensors, and a method for sensing combustible gas using the present sensors are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Talia S. Gershon, Supratik Guha, Hendrik F. Hamann, Jiaxing Liu, Theodore G. van Kessel
  • Patent number: 10888929
    Abstract: A problem is to provide a sheet which is such that a sintered body produced following sintering has a small amount of remaining organic substances. Solution means relate to a sheet comprising a pre-sintering layer. The pre-sintering layer comprises polycarbonate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nao Kamakura, Yuki Sugo
  • Patent number: 10883192
    Abstract: A sintered electrically conductive oxide for an oxygen sensor electrode includes a crystal phase formed of a perovskite-type electrically conductive oxide containing at least La, Fe and Ni. The oxide has an absolute value of thermoelectromotive force at 770° C. of 21.0 ?V/K or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hisashi Kozuka, Yasuyuki Okimura, Kazushige Ohbayashi
  • Patent number: 10871465
    Abstract: A mixed-potential gas sensor includes: a first sensing electrode containing a Pt—Au alloy and a second sensing electrode containing Pt, the first and second sensing electrodes being provided on a surface of a sensor element made of an oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte on one leading end part side; a reference electrode provided inside the sensor element to be made contact with air; a protective cover that surrounds the one leading end part of the sensor element and into which measurement gas flows; and concentration identification element configured to identify a concentration of a sensing target gas component based on potential differences between both of the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode and the reference electrode. The first and second sensing electrodes are disposed so that the measurement gas flowing into the protective cover reaches the first sensing electrode earlier than the second sensing electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventor: Taku Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10865725
    Abstract: An object is to reduce the influence of a hydrogen-ascribable difference between the measurement value of an oxygen sensor and the actual value. An exhaust system includes an oxygen sensor configured to measure the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas provided in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine and including a diffusion rate limiting layer and a controller configured to correct the measurement value of the oxygen sensor in such a way as to increase the measurement value of the oxygen sensor by an amount of correction that is made larger when the responsivity of the oxygen sensor to changes in the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine is high than when it is low in the same operation state of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Go Hayashita
  • Patent number: 10859526
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes an electrochemical cell having a solid electrolyte layer disposed between a sensing electrode and a reference electrode; a heater disposed in thermal communication with the electrochemical cell, the heater having a positive heater lead and a negative heater lead; a reference gas channel; a reference chamber in fluid communication with the reference electrode; a pump cell having a first pump cell electrode in fluid communication with the reference gas channel and also having a second pump cell electrode in fluid communication with the reference chamber. The first pump cell electrode has a pump cell first lead which forms a first electrical junction with either the positive heater lead and the negative heater lead and the second pump cell electrode has a pump cell second lead which forms a second electrical junction with the same heater lead as the pump cell first lead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Inventor: Alfredo Ibarra Covarrubias
  • Patent number: 10787750
    Abstract: A method reducing carbon dioxide to one or more organic products may include steps (A) to (E). Step (A) may introduce an anolyte to a first compartment of an electrochemical cell. The first compartment may include an anode. Step (B) may introduce a catholyte and carbon dioxide to a second compartment of the electrochemical cell. Step (C) may oxidize an indium cathode to produce an oxidized indium cathode. Step (D) may introduce the oxidized indium cathode to the second compartment. Step (E) may apply an electrical potential between the anode and the oxidized indium cathode sufficient for the oxidized indium cathode to reduce the carbon dioxide to a reduced product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignees: The Trustees of Princeton University, Avantium Knowledge Centre B.V.
    Inventors: Andrew B. Bocarsly, Zachary M. Detweiler
  • Patent number: 10788443
    Abstract: A gas sensor element having good sensitivity and responsiveness at low temperature, and a gas sensor are provided. The gas sensor element includes a solid electrolyte member made of an oxygen ion conductive ZrO2-based ceramic, and a reference gas-side electrode and a measuring gas-side electrode respectively provided on a surface and the other surface of the solid electrolyte member. The gas sensor includes the gas sensor element. The reference gas-side electrode and the measuring gas-side electrode are formed so as to face each other with the solid electrolyte member interposed therebetween, and are both made of a noble metal or a noble metal alloy. A mixed layer with an average thickness of 800 nm or less is formed between the solid electrolyte member and the reference gas-side electrode. The mixed layer contains a noble metal or a noble metal alloy and a ZrO2-based ceramic mixed with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hironobu Shimokawa, Toshihiko Harada, Kazuki Yagi
  • Patent number: 10761048
    Abstract: A metal terminal includes a front-side terminal member and a rear-side terminal member. The front-side terminal member includes a female connection portion, and the rear-side terminal member includes a male connection portion. The female connection portion has an insertion port in which the male connection portion is inserted. The insertion port is formed in a shape that prevents the insertion port and the male connection portion from coming into contact with each other when the male connection portion is inserted therein. The female connection portion includes a terminal contact portion which brings the male connection portion and the female connection portion into contact with each other by pressing the male connection portion toward the female connection portion inside the female connection portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Takehiro Oba, Shogo Nagata, Shunya Mihara