Sensor unit, sensing and analysis device with such a sensor unit and motor vehicle or trailer therewith and method for protecting an analyzer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10393545-B2
Application number	US-201615543018-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2016
Priority date	Jan 13, 2015
Publication date	Aug 27, 2019
Grant date	Aug 27, 2019

Abstract

A sensor unit (2) for a motor vehicle or trailer is disclosed. The sensor unit comprises a sensor measuring arrangement (16) for sensing at least one physical variable, a sensor housing (12) partly or fully enclosing the sensor measuring arrangement (16) and at least two connecting lines (18). The sensor unit (2) with the sensor housing (12) is electrically connectable to a conductive part of the motor vehicle or trailer and the sensor measuring arrangement (16) is connectable to an analyzer (6) via the connecting lines (18). Related methods, a sensing and analysis device, and motor vehicles or trailers including the same are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensing and analysis device for a motor vehicle or trailer, wherein the sensing and analysis device comprises:
a sensor unit including:
a sensor measuring arrangement for sensing at least one physical variable,
a sensor housing partly or fully enclosing the sensor measuring arrangement, and
at least two connecting lines,

an analyzer, wherein the sensor measuring arrangement of the sensor unit is connectable via the at least two connecting lines to the analyzer,
wherein the sensor unit with the sensor housing are electrically connectable to a conductive part of the motor vehicle or trailer,
wherein the sensor unit comprises a predetermined discharge path between the sensor housing and one of the at least two connecting lines or between the sensor housing and the sensor measuring arrangement for discharging electrostatic charge from the conductive part of the motor vehicle, and
wherein the analyzer includes an analysis circuit coupled to the at least two connecting lines, the analyzer further including a ground connecting line that is coupled to one of the at least two connecting lines through a resistive element within the analyzer, the ground connecting line extending externally from the analyzer and coupled to a grounded portion of the motor vehicle or trailer for discharging electrostatic charge from both of the sensor measuring arrangement and the analyzer.

2. The sensing and analysis device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined discharge path is implemented as a predetermined spark gap between the sensor housing and one of the at least two connecting lines of the sensor unit or between the sensor housing and the sensor measuring arrangement of the sensor unit.

3. The sensing and analysis device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a first contact of the spark gap is conductively connected to the sensor housing and a second contact of the spark gap is conductively connected to one of the at least two connecting lines of the sensor unit, wherein the first and second contacts lie opposite each other and are at a predetermined distance from each other.

4. The sensing and analysis device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined discharge path is implemented as a varistor between the sensor housing and one of the at least two connecting lines of the sensor unit or between the sensor housing and the sensor measuring arrangement of the sensor unit.

5. The sensing and analysis device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the varistor comprises a threshold voltage that lies below the maximum permissible voltage of the analyzer when connected to the sensor unit, wherein the maximum permissible voltage is given by the breakdown voltage of the weakest electrical component of the analyzer.

6. The sensing and analysis device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined discharge path is implemented as a high-impedance resistance between the sensor housing and one of the at least two connecting lines of the sensor unit or between the sensor housing and the sensor measuring arrangement of the sensor unit.

7. The sensing and analysis device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the predetermined discharge path is implemented as a high-impedance resistance between the sensor housing and one of the at least two connecting lines of the sensor unit and wherein a resistance value of the high-impedance resistance between the sensor housing and one of the at least two connecting lines of the sensor unit is between 100 kΩ and 1000 kΩ.

8. The sensing and analysis device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined discharge path is implemented as a high-impedance casting compound between the sensor housing and one of the at least two connecting lines of the sensor unit or between the sensor housing and the sensor measuring arrangement of the sensor unit.

9. The sensing and analysis device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the predetermined discharge path is implemented as the high-impedance casting compound between the sensor housing and one of the at least two connecting lines of the sensor unit and wherein the high-impedance casting compound has a specific resistance as to produce a resistance value of the predetermined discharge path between 100 kΩ and 1000 kΩ.

10. The sensing and analysis device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit is a revolution rate sensor.

11. The sensing and analysis device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the resistive element comprises a varistor that is disposed so as to protect electronic components that are disposed in the analyzer against damage by overvoltage.

12. The sensing and analysis device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the varistor is disposed in the analyzer between the ground connecting line and the one of the at least two connecting lines that connects the sensor measuring arrangement of the sensor unit to the analyzer.

13. The motor vehicle or trailer, comprising the sensing and analysis device as claimed in claim 1 .

14. The motor vehicle or trailer, comprising the sensing and analysis device as claimed in claim 11 .

15. A method for protecting electronic components of an analyzer that is connected to a sensor unit via at least two connecting lines against excessive electrical voltages due to electrostatic charging, wherein the sensor unit comprises a sensor measuring arrangement for sensing at least one physical variable and a sensor housing partly or fully enclosing the sensor measuring arrangement and wherein the sensor unit with the sensor housing is electrically connected to a conductive part of a motor vehicle or trailer,
said method comprising discharging electrostatic charge from the conductive part of the motor vehicle or trailer via a predetermined discharge path between the sensor housing of the sensor unit and one of the at least two connecting lines that connects the sensor measuring arrangement of the sensor unit to the analyzer and further through a resistive element connected between one of the at least two connecting lines and a ground connecting line, the ground connecting line extending externally from the analyzer and coupled to a grounded portion of the motor vehicle or trailer for discharging electrostatic charge from both of the sensor measuring arrangement and the analyzer.

Assignees

• Wabco Gmbh

Inventors

• Bormann Dirk
• Gröger Jens
• Schappler Hartmut
• Swoboda Marek

Classifications

• G01D3/036 Primary

  on measuring arrangements themselves · CPC title

• G01D3/032

  affecting incoming signal, e.g. by averaging; gating undesired signals · CPC title

• B60R16/06 Primary

  for removing electrostatic charges (carrying-off electrostatic charges in general H05F3/00) · CPC title