Knocking sensor

• US 9,182,309 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2011
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Niterra Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NGK Spark PLUG Company Limited
• Inventors: Hirata, Tomohiro, Nomura, Takuma
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frank, Rodney T
• Application Number:
  US13/583,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20130000387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,720 Days
• Field of Search: 73/351.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0681 Protection against excessive heat
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/141 Monolithic housings, e.g. molded or one-piece housings
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 23/222 using piezoelectric devices

Abstract

There is provided a knocking sensor that has good insulation characteristics even at an operating temperature of 150° C. or more and is excellent in the accuracy of knocking detection. The knocking sensor 10 includes a sensor body 20 including: a metal shell 12 that includes a cylindrical portion 12a and a flange portion 12b positioned at one end of the cylindrical portion 12a and protruding outward in a radial direction; an annular piezoelectric element 15; upper and lower electrode plates 16 and 14 that are superimposed on upper and lower surfaces of the piezoelectric element 15; a weight 17 that is disposed so that the piezoelectric element 15 is interposed between the weight and the flange portion 12b; a lower insulating plate 13 that is disposed between the flange portion 12b and the lower electrode plate 14; and an upper insulating plate 13t that is disposed between the upper electrode plate 16 and the weight 17; and a resin molding 11 that covers the sensor body 20. Further, the thickness of each of the upper and lower insulating plates 16 and 14 is in the range of 0.05 mm to 0.50 mm, and the resin molding 11 is made of polyphenylene sulfide having good heat resistance.

Claims

1. A knocking sensor comprising:

a sensor body that includes;

a metal shell that includes a cylindrical portion and a flange portion positioned at one end of the cylindrical portion and protruding outward in a radial direction;

an annular piezoelectric element that is fitted to an outer periphery of the cylindrical portion;

upper and lower electrode plates that are superimposed on upper and lower surfaces of the piezoelectric element;

a weight that is fitted to the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion so that the piezoelectric element is interposed between the weight and the flange portion;

a lower insulating plate that is disposed between the flange portion and the lower electrode plate and electrically insulates the flange portion from the lower electrode plate; and

an upper insulating plate that is disposed between the upper electrode plate and the weight and electrically insulates the upper electrode plate from the weight; and

a resin molding that is made of a resin and covers the sensor body,

wherein

a thickness of each of the upper and lower insulating plates is in the range of 0.05 mm to 0.50 mm, and

the resin molding is made of polyphenylene sulfide or a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and ethylene.