Sensor unit including a measuring cell, a housing and at least one access channel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10488290-B2
Application number	US-201815895796-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2018
Priority date	Jul 5, 2013
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A sensor unit including a measuring cell with a section-wise heat-conducting surface, a housing in which the measuring cell for the most part is contained, and an access channel to the measuring cell. The sensor unit includes a cavity that is confined for the most part by an outer surface of the measuring cell and by a wall of the housing facing towards the surface of the measuring cell. The cavity is closed in itself.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Sensor unit comprising:
a measuring cell ( 1 ) with at least section-wise heat-conducting surface,
a housing ( 3 ; 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ), in which the measuring cell ( 1 ) for the most part is contained, and
at least one access channel ( 2 ) to the measuring cell ( 1 ),

characterized by
a cavity ( 8 ) that is confined for the most part by an outer surface of the measuring cell ( 1 ) and a wall of the housing ( 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ) facing towards the surface of the measuring cell ( 1 ),

wherein the cavity ( 8 ) is closed.

2. Sensor unit according to claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one access channel ( 2 ) is guided through the housing ( 3 ; 6 , 7 ) in an area that consists of a polymer, wherein the polymer preferably is PPS polyphenylene sulfide.

3. Sensor unit according to claim 1 , characterized in that the housing ( 3 ; 4 , 5 ) consists at least in sections of a heat conducting material, wherein the heat conducting material is preferably aluminum.

4. Sensor unit according to claim 1 , characterized in that the cavity ( 8 ) is gas-tightly enclosed.

5. Sensor unit according to claim 1 , characterized in that the cavity ( 8 ) completely comprises the measuring cell ( 1 ) except for the at least one access channel ( 2 ).

6. Sensor unit according to claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one access channel ( 2 ) is guided through the housing ( 3 ; 6 , 7 ).

7. Sensor unit according to claim 1 , characterized in that the measuring cell ( 1 ) comprises at least one heating element.

8. Sensor unit according to claim 1 , characterized by
an extension ( 15 ) of the housing with an electronics module ( 10 ), wherein the extension ( 15 ) of the housing is connected with the housing ( 3 ; 4 , 5 , 6 ), and
a cover element ( 6 ) that is provided between the housing ( 3 ; 4 , 5 , 6 ) and the extension ( 15 ) of the housing, wherein the covering element ( 6 ) is spaced from the measuring cell ( 1 ).

9. Sensor unit according to claim 8 , characterized in that the electronics module ( 10 ) is spaced from the thermally insulating cover element ( 6 ).

10. Sensor unit according to claim 8 , characterized in that the cover element ( 6 ) consists of a thermally insulating material, preferably a polymer.

11. Sensor unit according to claim 8 , characterized in that the extension ( 15 ) of the housing at least in sections consists of a heat-conducting material, preferably a metal.

12. Sensor unit according to claim 11 , characterized in that the extension ( 15 ) of the housing consisting at least in sections of a heat-conducting material is firmly connected to the housing ( 3 ) consisting at least in sections of a heat-conducting material, in order to enable a heat-exchange.

13. Sensor unit according to claim 8 , characterized in that the electronics module ( 10 ) or individual components of the electronics module ( 10 ) are in direct contact with the heat-conducting material of the extension ( 15 ) of the housing.

14. Sensor unit according to claim 8 , characterized in that the extension ( 15 ) of the housing comprises an additional cavity ( 16 ), wherein the additional cavity ( 16 ) is closed in itself.

15. Sensor unit according to claim 1 , characterized in that the measuring cell ( 1 ) is of the type capacitive diaphragm gauge or of the type optical diaphragm gauge.

Assignees

• Inficon Gmbh

Inventors

• Hanselmann-Willi Hansjakob
• Scuderi Francesco

Classifications

• G01L9/0072

  using variations in capacitance · CPC title

• G01L9/0076

  using photoelectric means · CPC title

• G01L19/06 Primary

  Means for preventing overload or deleterious influence of the measured medium on the measuring device or vice versa · CPC title

• G01L19/14

  Housings {(G01L19/0007, G01L19/0084, G01L19/0092, G01L19/04, G01L19/06 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G01L19/143

  Two part housings · CPC title