Gas sensor with a configurable heating element, and methods exploiting the configurability
US11402347B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 4, 2019 |
| Grant date | Aug 2, 2022 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 7, 2041 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH05B2203/037
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In a gas sensor having a gas-sensitive layer and a heating element to heat the gas-sensitive layer, the heating element comprises a heater track having first and second outer electric terminals and at least one inner electric terminal located between the outer electric terminals. The gas sensor includes a control unit configured to control the electric potentials that are applied to the electric terminals during use, and the control unit is configured to be capable of varying the set of electric potentials applied to the electric terminals. In certain applications the control unit may select the terminals to which power is applied, in order to assure the gas-sensitive layer is heated to a specified temperature. In certain applications the gas sensor has multiple measurement electrodes and the control unit selects the set of electric potentials so that different temperatures are attained at locations where different measurement electrodes are located.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.