Force sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10330540-B2
Application number	US-201715682883-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2017
Priority date	Aug 22, 2017
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

A force sensor or sensor assembly may include a sense die, a housing, and a force transmitting member. The sense die may include a force sensing region and at least one bond pad. The housing may include a sense die receiving cavity, at least one electrical terminal configured to engage a bond pad of the sense die, a retention member configured to prevent the sense die from sliding out of the housing, and a hole in the housing that exposes the force sensing region of the sense die to the force transmitting element. The housing may include one or more component parts. In some cases, the force sensor or sensor assembly may be configured on a microscale through micro-manufacturing techniques.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A force sensor comprising:
a sense die including a force sensing region and at least one bond pad;
a housing comprising:
a sense die receiving cavity having a sense die receiving opening, wherein the sense die receiving cavity is configured to slidably receive the sense die through the sense die receiving opening;
at least one electrical terminal each extending from an external surface of the housing into the sense die receiving cavity, wherein each of the at least one electrical terminal engages and provides a positive contact bias force against a corresponding bond pad of the sense die when the sense die is received by the sense die receiving cavity;
a retention member for preventing the sense die from sliding out of the sense die receiving cavity through the sense die receiving opening;
a hole in the housing that exposes the force sensing region of the sense die when the sense die is received by the sense die receiving cavity;

a force transmitting element situated at least partially within the hole and engaging the force sensing region of the sense die for transmitting an external force to the force sensing region of the sense die.

2. The force sensor of claim 1 , wherein the force transmitting element comprises a ball bearing.

3. The force sensor of claim 1 , wherein the housing has a top side, a bottom side, and one or more side walls extending between the top side and the bottom side, and wherein the hole in the housing that exposes the force sensing region of the sense die is in the top side of the housing and the sense die receiving opening is in one or more of the side walls of the housing.

4. The force sensor of claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a sense die stop for stopping the sense die after the sense die is slidably received into the sense die receiving cavity.

5. The force sensor of claim 1 , wherein the retention member comprises a plug that is press fit into the sense die receiving opening.

6. The force sensor of claim 1 , wherein the retention member comprises a snap element that is configured to allow movement of the sense die into the sense die receiving cavity and limit movement of the sense die once the sense die is in the sense die receiving cavity.

7. The force sensor of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises:
a first housing element;
a second housing element detachably connectable to the first housing element;
wherein the sense die receiving cavity is formed by the first housing element and the second housing element when the first housing element and the second housing element are connected.

8. The force sensor of claim 7 , wherein:
the first housing element comprises a first electrical terminal portion;
the second housing element comprises a second electrical terminal portion;
the first electrical terminal portion and the second electrical terminal portion are in electrical communication and form the at least one electrical terminal when the first housing element and the second housing element are connected.

9. The force sensor of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical terminal comprises two or more electrical terminals, and wherein the two or more electrical terminals are configured to supply power to the sense die and receive one or more force sensor output signals from the sense die.

10. The force sensor of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a top side with a top wall, a bottom side with a bottom wall, a left side with a left wall, a right side with a left wall, a back side with a back wall, and a front side that defines the sense die receiving cavity, and wherein the hole that exposes the force sensing region of the sense die extends through the top wall of the housing.

11. A sensor assembly comprising:
a sense die including at least one bond pad;
a housing comprising:
a sense die receiving cavity having a sense die receiving opening, wherein the sense die receiving cavity is configured to slidably receive the sense die through the sense die receiving opening;
at least one electrical terminal each extending from an external surface of the housing into the sense die receiving cavity, wherein each of the at least one electrical terminal engages and provides a positive contact bias force against a corresponding bond pad of the sense die when the sense die is received by the sense die receiving cavity;
a retention member for preventing the sense die from sliding out of the sense die receiving cavity through the sense die receiving opening.

12. The sensor assembly of claim 11 , wherein the sense die is a force sense die with a force sensing region, and wherein the sensor assembly further comprises an actuating element that extends through a hole in the housing and engages the force sensing region of the force sense die.

13. The sensor assembly of claim 11 , wherein the retention member comprises a plug that is configured to be inserted into the sense die receiving opening.

14. The sensor assembly of claim 11 , wherein the retention member comprises a snap element that is configured to allow movement of the sense die into the sense die receiving cavity and limit movement of the sense die once the sense die is in the sense die receiving cavity.

15. The sensor assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a sense die stop for stopping the sense die after the sense die is slidably received into the sense die receiving cavity.

16. The sensor assembly of claim 11 , wherein the sense die receiving cavity comprises a retention groove on opposing sides of the sense die for slidably receiving opposing sides of the sense die.

17. The sensor assembly of claim 11 , wherein each of the at least one electrical terminal comprise a metal lead, and the housing functions as a lead frame.

18. A method of assembling a sensor assembly, comprising:
slidably inserting a sense die through a sense die receiving opening and into a sense die receiving cavity of a housing until the sense die engages a stop;
while the sense die is slidably inserted, electrical terminals of the housing slidably engage and provide a positive contact bias force against corresponding bond pads of the sense die, the electrical terminals extending to an external surface of the housing; and
retaining the sense die in the sense die receiving cavity.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the retaining step comprises inserting a plug into the sense die receiving opening and/or activate a snap element that is configured to allow movement of the sense die into the sense die receiving cavity and limit movement of the sense die once the sense die is in the sense die receiving cavity.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the sense die is a force sense die with a force sensing region, and wherein the method further comprises installing an actuating element through a hole in the housing to engage the force sensing region of the force sense die.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Machir James F
• Wade Richard
• Patch Jason Dennis

Classifications

• H01L41/08

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01L1/162 Primary

  using piezoelectric resonators · CPC title

• G01L1/18 Primary

  using properties of piezo-resistive materials, i.e. materials of which the ohmic resistance varies according to changes in magnitude or direction of force applied to the material · CPC title

• G01L5/0019

  by using strain gages, piezoelectric, piezo-resistive or other ohmic-resistance based sensors · CPC title

• G01L1/2293

  of the semi-conductor type · CPC title