Claims
- 1. An oxygen sensor comprising:
- an oxygen pump element having a first solid electrolyte plate and two porous electrodes, one on each surface of the first solid electrolyte plate,
- an oxygen concentration cell element having a second solid electrolyte plate and two porous electrodes, one on each surface of the second electrolyte plate, and
- a heater adjacent to at least one of the oxygen pump element and the oxygen concentration cell element,
- wherein:
- a spacer is formed between the oxygen pump element and the oxygen concentration cell element,
- a gas diffusion chamber is surrounded by the two porous electrodes facing the gas diffusion chamber and the spacer,
- a gas diffusion path is formed at the spacer and connects the gas diffusion chamber and the ambience of the oxygen sensor,
- a porous member is disposed along said path to regulate diffusion therealong,
- a shield layer is attached to the oxygen concentration cell element for shielding a one of the two porous electrodes of the oxygen concentration cell element external to the gas diffusion chamber from contact with ambient object gas,
- the thickness of the oxygen sensor is between 0.7 and 1.25 mm, and the width of the oxygen sensor is between 2.8 and 4.0 mm,
- the gas diffusion path has a resistance against gas flow,
- the volume of the gas diffusion chamber is between 0.05 and 1.0 mm.sup.3,
- the thickness of the gas diffusion chamber is between 20 and 100 microns,
- the area of the electrode of the oxygen pump element facing the gas diffusion chamber is greater than 3.0 mm.sup.2,
- there is provided a peripheral margin between a periphery of the shield layer and a periphery of said porous electrode of the oxygen concentration cell element external to the gas diffusion chamber, a width of the peripheral margin being greater than 0.7 mm, and
- oxygen gas in the gas diffusion chamber is transported to said one of the two porous electrodes of the oxygen concentration cell element external to the gas diffusion chamber through the electrolyte plate and the other electrode of the oxygen concentration cell element, and an internal reference source is created in one of the two porous electrodes external to the gas diffusion chamber by maintaining a voltage between the two porous electrodes of the oxygen concentration cell element at a predetermined value or maintaining a current flow through the oxygen pump element at a predetermined value.
Priority Claims (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
63-81785 |
Apr 1988 |
JPX |
|
1-69832 |
Mar 1989 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/746,010, filed Aug. 12, 1991, which in turn in a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/330,524 filed on Mar. 10, 1989, both now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
746010 |
Aug 1991 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
330524 |
Mar 1989 |
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