US009557289B2  c12)  United States Patent  Cobianu et al.  (54)  LEAD-FREE ELECTROCHEMICAL  GALVANIC OXYGEN SENSOR  (IO)  Patent No.:  US 9,557,289 B2  (45)  Date of Patent:  Jan.31,2017  (75)  Inventors:  Cornel Cobianu,  Bucharest (RO);  Bogdan-Catalin Serban,  Bucharest  (RO);  Bryan Stewart Hobbs,  West  Sussex (GB)  (73)  Assignee:  Life Safety Distribution AG,  Hegnau  (CH)  ( *)  Notice:  Subject to any disclaimer, the term ofthis  patent is extended or adjusted under 35  U.S.C. 154(b) by 350 days.  (21)  Appl. No.:  14/241,271  (22)  PCT Filed:  Sep. 14, 2011  (86)  PCT No.:  PCT /RO2011/000022  § 371 (c)(l),  (2), ( 4) Date:  Feb. 26, 2014  (87)  PCT Pub. No.:  WO2013/039414  PCT Pub. Date:  Mar. 21, 2013  (51)  Int. Cl.  (52)  U.S. Cl.  CPC ..........  GOIN  271413  (2013.01);  GOIN  271404  (2013.01)  ( 58)  Field of Classification Search  CPC ..................................... GOIN 27/404-27/4045  USPC .......................................... 204/431-432, 415  See application file for complete search history.  (65)  Prior Publication Data  (57)  ABSTRACT  9 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets  OTHER PUBLICATIONS  FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS  U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS  (56)  References Cited  China Office Action and Search Report, dated Jan. 15, 2016,  corresponding to China Patent Application No. 201180074816, 9  pages.  (Continued)  (Continued)  (Continued)  A lead-free, self-corrosion-free electrochemical galvanic  oxygen sensor is provided. The preferred sensor includes a  container, the container including a lead-free anode, an  alkali electrolyte, a carbon platinized with platinum cathode  and a nickel wire current collector, wherein the container  further includes a diffusion barrier that causes the sensor to  operate in the limiting current region.  Primary Examiner  - Bach Dinh  (74)  Attorney, Agent, or Firm  - Conley Rose, P.C.;  Kristin Jordan Harkins  GOIN  271413  GOIN  271404  (2006.01)  (2006.01)  US 2014/0231253 Al  Aug. 21, 2014  CN  CN  2241341 Y  2254552 Y  11/1996  5/1997  3,223,597 A  12/1965 Hersch  3,616,416 A  *  10/1971 Linenberg .  H0lM 12/06  204/400  4,539,086 A  *  9/1985 Fujita ........................ C25B 1/02  204/263  4,652,359 A  *  3/1987 Niedrach ............. G0lN 27/404  204/402  4,894,138 A  *  1/1990 Gambert .............. G0lN 27/404  5,200,044 A  4/1993 Milstein et al.  204/415  Pt  CATHODE  NICKEL WIRE  CONNECTOR  Ro  e 