Exhaust gas sensor

• US 8,016,989 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2005
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Ozawa, Shigeyuki, Nonaka, Isao, Tsukahara, Koju
• Primary Examiner(s): Olsen; Kaj K
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARLSON, KOURTNEY SALZMAN
• Application Number:
  US11/211,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20060042946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,210 Days
• Field of Search: 73/233.2, 731/147.1, 731/147.2, 731/147.3
• US Class Current: 204/428
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4077 Means for protecting the electrolyte or the electrodes

Abstract

An exhaust gas sensor inhibits a detecting part of an exhaust gas sensor from being exposed to water and has high detection accuracy and high durability. The exhaust gas sensor has a sensor body and a protective cover. The sensor body has an outer housing. The outer housing has a plurality of gas inlets. A gas detection element for detecting a component of the exhaust gas (e.g., oxygen) disposed within the outer housing. The protective cover has a cylindrical shape and has a plurality of protrusions at its opposing ends. The protrusions provide a tight fit with the outer housing. The protective cover is attached to the outer periphery of the outer housing without closing gas inlets formed through the outer cylinder by press-fitting the outer cylinder into the protective cover.

Claims

1. An exhaust gas sensor for an exhaust system, the exhaust sensor comprising:

a gas detection element configured to detect an amount of a substance in a gas,

an outer housing including a sidewall and a bottom wall, the sidewall of the outer housing including a plurality of gas inlets arranged to provide fluid communication through the outer housing, the gas detection element positioned within the outer housing,

a main fitting arranged to directly support a gas detection assembly including the gas detection element and the outer housing, and

a protective cover arranged to cover and surround the outer housing, the protective cover comprising a side wall and a lower end, the lower end not substantially overlying the bottom wall of the outer housing and the side wall not comprising openings in proximity to the plurality of gas inlets but the gas inlets communicating with locations outside of the protective cover adjacent the bottom wall of the outer housing, the protective cover further comprising a cylindrical body with an inner periphery on which a plurality of protrusions are arranged circumferentially at substantially equal intervals, the plurality of protrusions being arranged to press-fit the protective cover onto the outer housing, some of the plurality of protrusions being disposed at a first portion of the protective cover and the remainder of the plurality of protrusions being disposed at a second portion of the protective cover, the first portion and the second portion of the protective cover being spaced apart from each other in an axial direction of the protective cover;

wherein

the protective cover is arranged to slide onto the outer housing such that an uppermost end of the protective cover is arranged below a lowermost end of the main fitting.

2. The exhaust gas sensor of claim 1, wherein at least one gap is formed between the protective cover and the outer housing.

3. The exhaust gas sensor of claim 1, wherein the protective cover is made of stainless steel.

17. The exhaust gas sensor of claim 1, wherein the gas inlets communicate with locations outside of the protective cover through at least one gap that comprises an annular gap.

18. The exhaust gas sensor of claim 1, wherein the sidewall of the protective cover does not have any holes for receiving exhaust gas therethrough.

21. The exhaust gas sensor of claim 2, further comprising a fluid passage in which exhaust gases flow through, the fluid passage is defined between the outer housing and the protective cover and extends between the at least one gap and at least one of the plurality of gas inlets of the outer housing.

4. An exhaust system for a watercraft having an engine, the exhaust system comprising:

an exhaust conduit, the exhaust conduit including an exhaust gas passage through which exhaust gases discharged from the engine pass,

an exhaust sensor comprising a gas detection assembly disposed in the exhaust gas passage and exposed to exhaust gases, the gas detection assembly comprising a gas detection element configured to detect an amount of a substance in exhaust gases,

an outer housing arranged to surround the gas detection element and including at least one gas inlet arranged to provide fluid communication through the outer housing,

a main fitting arranged to directly support the gas detection assembly, and

a protective cover comprising a sidewall that substantially surrounds an outer side surface of the outer housing and the sidewall not comprising openings that extend generally perpendicular to the outer side surface of the outer housing, the protective cover further comprising an elongated body that includes a plurality of inwardly extending spacers, the plurality of inwardly extending spacers are spaced circumferentially along an inner surface of the elongated body and arranged to press-fit the protective cover onto the outer housing, a first plurality of inwardly extending spacers being disposed at a first portion of the protective cover and a second plurality of inwardly extending spacers being disposed at a second portion of the protective cover, the first portion and the second portion of the protective cover being spaced apart from each other in an axial direction of the protective cover;

wherein

the protective cover is arranged to slide onto the outer housing such that an uppermost end of the protective cover is arranged below a lowermost end of the main fitting.

5. The exhaust system of claim 4, further comprising a gas chamber defined by the gas detection element and the outer housing, the gas chamber being in fluid communication with the at least one gas inlet.

6. The exhaust system of claim 4, further comprising a gas passage defined between the outer housing and the protective cover and extending between the at least one gas inlet and the exhaust gas passage of the exhaust conduit.

7. The exhaust system of claim 4, further comprising at least one gap defined between the outer housing and the protective cover, the at least one gap is in fluid communication with the at least one gas inlet.

9. The exhaust system of claim 4, wherein the protective cover comprises stainless steel.

10. The exhaust system of claim 4, wherein the protective cover is disposed so as to shield the at least one gas inlet of the outer housing.

11. The exhaust system of claim 4, wherein the exhaust gas sensor is mounted to the exhaust conduit and is positioned between a water-lock and the engine.

19. The exhaust system of claim 4, wherein the exhaust sensor is disposed upstream of a catalyst in the exhaust gas passage.

20. The exhaust system of claim 4, wherein the protective cover is not coupled to the exhaust conduit.

8. The exhaust system of 7, wherein the at least one gap is positioned such that exhaust gases pass through the at least one gap before entering the at least one gas inlet, and the at least one gap is formed by the spacers and the outer housing and the protective cover.

12. An exhaust system for a watercraft having an engine, the exhaust system comprising:

an exhaust conduit, the exhaust conduit including an exhaust gas passage through which exhaust gases discharged from the engine pass,

an exhaust sensor comprising a gas detection assembly disposed in the exhaust gas passage and exposed to exhaust gases, the gas detection assembly comprising a gas detection element configured to detect an amount of a substance in exhaust gases,

an outer housing arranged to surround the gas detection element and including at least one gas inlet arranged to provide fluid communication through the outer housing,

a main fitting arranged to directly support the gas detection assembly, and

a protective cover substantially surrounding an outer side surface of the outer housing, the protective cover comprising a sleeve-like member that is spaced apart from the outer side surface of the outer housing, a lower end of the protective cover and a lower end of the outer housing defining a generally annular opening with first protrusions that extend between a lower portion of the protective cover and a lower portion of the outer housing interrupting the generally annular opening and second protrusions that extend between an upper portion of the protective cover and an upper portion of the outer housing interrupting the general annular opening, the lower portion of the protective cover being spaced apart from the upper portion of the protective cover in an axial direction of the protective cover;

wherein

an inner surface of the protective cover is press-fit onto an outer surface of the outer housing via the first and second protrusions; and

the protective cover is arranged to slide onto the outer housing such that an uppermost end of the protective cover is arranged below a lowermost end of the main fitting.

13. The exhaust system of claim 12, wherein the outer housing has at least one opening inlet defining the at least one fluid passage.

14. The exhaust system of claim 13, wherein the at least one opening inlet is positioned between opposing ends of the protective cover.

15. The exhaust system of claim 12, wherein a heater is positioned within the gas detection element, and the heater is adapted to heat the gas detection element to a target temperature for operating the detection element.

16. The exhaust system of claim 12, wherein the gas detection element is an oxygen sensor.

22. An exhaust gas sensor for an exhaust system, the exhaust sensor comprising:

a gas detection element configured to detect an amount of a substance in a gas,

an outer housing including a sidewall and a bottom wall, the sidewall of the outer housing including a plurality of gas inlets arranged to provide fluid communication through the outer housing, the gas detection element positioned within the outer housing,

a main fitting arranged to directly support a gas detection assembly including the gas detection element and the outer housing, and

a protective cover arranged to cover and surround the outer housing, the protective cover comprising a sidewall and a lower end, protrusions extending between the sidewall of the protective cover and the sidewall of the outer housing to press-fit the protective cover onto the outer housing, gaps between adjacent ones of the protrusions defining openings from outside of the protective cover into a space defined between the sidewall of the protective cover and the sidewall of the outer housing, and the openings not extending through the sidewall of the protective cover, some of the protrusions being disposed at a first portion of the protective cover and the remainder of the protrusions being disposed at a second portion of the protective cover, the first portion and the second portions of the protective cover being spaced apart from each other in an axial direction of the protective cover;

wherein

the protective cover is arranged to slide onto the outer housing such that an uppermost end of the protective cover is arranged below a lowermost end of the main fitting.