Sensor cartridge for mounting in a reservoir

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10345177-B2
Application number	US-201715499264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2017
Priority date	Apr 27, 2017
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

Sensors are provided in reservoirs on internal combustion engines, and other applications, in which the reservoir is subjected to variations in pressure and temperature that cause the reservoir to exert variable forces on the sensor, thereby affecting sensor accuracy. To overcome problems in the prior art, a reservoir and sensor cartridge system are disclosing having: a reservoir with first and second openings, a cap coupled to the first opening, and a sensor cartridge disposed in the second opening. The sensor cartridge includes a sensor disposed in a body, a circumferential indentation formed in an outer surface of the body, a seal disposed in the indentation, and a retention feature provided on the body's outer surface. The circumferential indentation with the seal is axially displaced along the body from the sensor.

First claim

We claim:

1. A reservoir and sensor cartridge system, comprising:
a reservoir having an opening; and
a sensor cartridge disposed in the opening and having:
a body with an inner end and an outer end;
a sensor disposed in the body;
a circumferential indentation formed in an outer surface of the body;
a seal disposed in the indentation; and

a body retention feature provided on the body's outer surface wherein:
the reservoir has a sensor cartridge acceptor wall proximate the opening; and
an inner surface of the cartridge acceptor wall has a reservoir retention feature that mates with the body retention feature of the sensor cartridge when the sensor cartridge is installed in the reservoir.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the body retention feature is a circumferential ridge; and
the reservoir retention feature on the sensor cartridge acceptor wall is a groove.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein: the body retention feature and the reservoir retention feature comprise a bayonet fitting.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the seal is proximate the location where the sensor acceptance wall extends outwardly from the reservoir with the reservoir thereby providing resistance to the seal.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is mounted in the sensor cartridge at an axial location away from the seal and away from the body retention feature.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is coupled to electrical leads that extend through the outer end of the sensor cartridge.

7. A reservoir and sensor cartridge system, comprising:
a reservoir having first and second openings;
a cap coupled to the first opening; and
a sensor cartridge disposed in the second opening, the sensor cartridge having:
a sensor disposed in a substantially-cylindrical sensor body;
a circumferential indentation formed in an outer surface of the sensor body;
a seal disposed in the indentation; and

a body retention feature provided on the sensor body's outer surface, wherein:
the reservoir has a sensor cartridge acceptor wall proximate the second opening; and
the sensor cartridge acceptor wall includes a reservoir retention feature that mates with the retention feature of the body of the sensor cartridge.

8. The reservoir and sensor cartridge system of claim 7 wherein the sensor is axially displaced with respect to the seal on the sensor body of the sensor cartridge.

9. The reservoir and sensor cartridge system of claim 7 wherein the sensor is axially displaced with respect to the body retention feature of the sensor cartridge.

10. The reservoir and sensor cartridge system of claim 7 wherein:
the body of the sensor cartridge has an inner end that extends into the reservoir and an outer end that is distal from the reservoir; and
the sensor is disposed in the inner end of the sensor body.

11. The reservoir and sensor cartridge system of claim 7 wherein: the sensor has leads coupled thereto; and the leads run through the body and exit from the outer end of the body.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Mitchell Robert Alex
• Giunta Michael Joseph
• Styron Joshua Putman
• Madej Jeanette

Classifications

• G01L19/147

  Details about the mounting of the sensor to support or covering means · CPC title

• G01L19/04 Primary

  Means for compensating for effects of changes of temperature {, i.e. other than electric compensation} · CPC title

• F01P2011/0219

  using bayonet connections · CPC title