HONEYCOMB STRUCTURE

• US 20090246454A1
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Original Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Inventors: YAMADA, Toshio, TOYOSHIMA, Hideyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,158,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/116
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/008 Mounting or arrangement of exhaust sensors in or on exhaust apparatus sensor arrangements for engine control F02D41/1439
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2560/02 the means being an exhaust gas sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/281 Metallic honeycomb monoliths made of stacked or rolled sheets, foils or plates
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2828 Ceramic multi-channel monoliths, e.g. honeycombs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24149 Honeycomb-like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24174 including sheet or component perpendicular to plane of web or sheet

Abstract

A precise exhaust gas control can be achieved without being influenced by fluctuations of the excess air ratio (λ) between cylinders of engines or the size of the diameter (the sectional area) of the honeycomb structure. The honeycomb structure is formed by a plurality of cells separated from one another by porous partition walls and functioning as fluid flow paths, the honeycomb structure includes: a sensor plug-in hole 7 which is formed in an outer peripheral surface 4 of the honeycomb structure and into which a sensor can be plugged, and the sensor plug-in hole 7 is provided with at least one deep hole 8 which communicates with the sensor plug-in hole.

Claims

1. A honeycomb structure which is formed by a plurality of cells separated from one another by porous partition walls and functioning as fluid flow paths,

the honeycomb structure comprising:

a sensor plug-in hole which is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the honeycomb structure and into which a sensor can be plugged,

the sensor plug-in hole being provided with at least one deep hole which communicates with the sensor plug-in hole.

2. The honeycomb structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one lateral hole crossing the at least one deep hole.

3. The honeycomb structure according to claim 2, wherein the diameter of each of the deep hole and the lateral hole is twice or more as large as a cell pitch and is 60% or less of the average diameter of the sensor plug-in hole.

4. The honeycomb structure according to claim 2, wherein the deep hole is provided to cross the lateral hole at right angles.

5. The honeycomb structure according to claim 3, wherein the deep hole is provided to cross the lateral hole at right angles.

6. The honeycomb structure according to claim 2, wherein the other end of the deep hole that does not communicate with the sensor plug-in hole and at least one end of the lateral hole are closed in the vicinity of an outer peripheral wall of the honeycomb structure.

7. The honeycomb structure according to claim 3, wherein the other end of the deep hole that does not communicate with the sensor plug-in hole and at least one end of the lateral hole are closed in the vicinity of an outer peripheral wall of the honeycomb structure.

8. The honeycomb structure according to claim 4, wherein the other end of the deep hole that does not communicate with the sensor plug-in hole and at least one end of the lateral hole are closed in the vicinity of an outer peripheral wall of the honeycomb structure.

9. The honeycomb structure according to claim 5, wherein the other end of the deep hole that does not communicate with the sensor plug-in hole and at least one end of the lateral hole are closed in the vicinity of an outer peripheral wall of the honeycomb structure.

10. The honeycomb structure according to claim 1, which is made of a ceramic material.

11. The honeycomb structure according to claim 10, wherein the ceramic material is at least one selected from the group consisting of cordierite, silicon carbide, alumina, mullite, aluminum titanate and silicon nitride.

12. The honeycomb structure according to claim 1, which is made of a metal foil or a sintered metal.