Engine oxygen concentration sensor mounting structure

• US 6,925,862 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2002
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Fujita, Hiroyuki, Kawanaka, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCALL, ERIC SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US10/189,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20030024299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 73/233.1, 73/233.2, 731/16, 731/172, 731/173, 731/181
• US Class Current: 73/114.73
• 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 13/08 Other arrangements or adaptations of exhaust conduits pipes, joints or supports therefor in general F16L; collecting or removing exhaust gases of vehicle engines in workshops B08B15/00, on highways E01C1/005
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/102 having thermal insulation
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/1805 Fixing exhaust manifolds, exhaust pipes or pipe sections to each other, to engine or to vehicle body pipe joints in general F16L; fixing auxiliaries in motor vehicles in general B60K
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/1888 the housing of the assembly consisting of two or more parts, e.g. two half-shells
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2260/18 for improving rigidity, e.g. by wings, ribs
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2450/22 by welding or brazing
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2450/24 by bolts, screws, rivets or the like

Abstract

An engine oxygen concentration sensor mounting structure in which an oxygen concentration sensor is mounted in a collector exhaust pipe connected to an outlet of an exhaust manifold having a plurality of exhaust single pipes. When a straight line is drawn from a detection part of the oxygen concentration sensor positioned within the collector exhaust pipe so as to be parallel to a section of a centerline of the exhaust pipe closest to the detection part, the straight line passes outside the outlet of the exhaust manifold. This allows the exhaust gases discharged from the exhaust manifold to be sufficiently mixed within the curved exhaust pipe and differences in length of the plurality of the exhaust single pipes to be compensated for. Thus, accurate detection by the oxygen concentration sensor can be secured, even if the lengths of a plurality of exhaust single pipes of the exhaust manifold are nonuniform.

Claims

1. An engine oxygen concentration sensor mounting structure in which, for each inline bank of cylinders in an engine, an oxygen concentration sensor is mounted in a collector exhaust pipe connected to an outlet of an exhaust manifold, said exhaust manifold comprising a plurality of exhaust single pipes which include ones of different lengths and converge into the collector exhaust pipe,

wherein the oxygen concentration sensor is mounted in a curve of the collector exhaust pipe extending to the outlet of the exhaust manifold, the curve of the collector exhaust pipe being positioned immediately downstream of the outlet of the exhaust manifold, and when a straight line is drawn from a detection part of the oxygen concentration sensor positioned within the collector exhaust pipe so as to be parallel to a section of a centerline of the collector exhaust pipe closest to the detection part, the straight line passes outside the outlet of the exhaust manifold, and

wherein the engine is mounted in a vehicle, an exhaust gas catalytic purification device is connected to the collector exhaust pipe, and the oxygen concentration sensor is disposed in a position upstream of the exhaust gas catalytic purification device in a passage of air generated when the vehicle is traveling.

2. The engine oxygen concentration sensor mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the oxygen concentration sensor is mounted on the inside of the curve of the exhaust pipe.

3. The engine oxygen concentration sensor mounting structure according to either claim 1 or 2, wherein the oxygen concentration sensor is disposed on a front side of the collector exhaust pipe.