Temperature sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10656022-B2
Application number	US-201815946292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2018
Priority date	Jun 20, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

The present invention provide a temperature sensor including a sensor main body having a contact surface for contacting with the upper surface of a battery cell, a mounting member holding the sensor main body and attaching it to the battery cell, and a coil spring arranged between the sensor main body and the mounting member. When viewing from an opposite side to the contact surface, the center P1 of the contact surface coincides with the center P2 of a trajectory connecting a pressing point pressed by the coil spring. When the mounting member is inclined due to inclination of a resin member mounted on the upper surface of the battery, the temperature sensor can absorb all inclinations by the coil spring, and prevent the contact surface away from the upper surface of the battery cell.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A temperature sensor comprising:
a sensor main body having a contact surface for contacting with a temperature sensing portion;
a mounting member holding the sensor main body from an opposite side to the contact surface and attaching the sensor main body to the temperature sensing portion; and
an elastic member arranged between the sensor main body and the mounting member and pressing the sensor main body from the opposite side to the contact surface,
wherein a convex portion arranged on the sensor main body is configured to control a position gap of the elastic member in a radial direction of one end of the elastic member so that a center of the contact surface is positioned within an area of a trajectory connecting a pressing point pressed by the elastic member when viewing from the opposite side to the contact surface.

2. The temperature sensor according to claim 1 , the mounting member is a cover shape for covering the sensor main body and the elastic member.

3. The temperature sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting member has an elastic member holding portion that is arranged in a cylindrical shape around the elastic member and extends downward from a ceiling wall of the mounting member.

4. The temperature sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the convex portion holds the elastic member with a base portion of the convex portion that is vertically extending from the sensor main body towards a ceiling wall of the mounting member and a tip portion of the convex portion which is tapered with increasing distance from the base portion.

5. The temperature sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is a plurality of coil springs.

6. The temperature sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is a coil spring, and the trajectory connecting the pressing point pressed by the coil spring is a circular form.

7. The temperature sensor according to claim 6 , the mounting member is a cover shape for covering the sensor main body and the elastic member.

8. The temperature sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting member has locking holes arranged on a first and a second side wall and the sensor main body has locking projections on a first and second side wall that fit within the locking holes on the mounting member.

9. The temperature sensor according to claim 8 , wherein the locking holes on the mounting member are formed larger than the locking projections on the sensor main body.

10. The temperature sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor main body locks into the mounting member with the elastic member arranged between the mounting member and the sensor main body, and
wherein the mounting member locks into locking frames on the temperature sensing portion.

11. The temperature sensor according to claim 10 ,
wherein the temperature sensing portion is an upper surface of a battery cell.

12. The temperature sensor according to claim 11 , wherein locking portions on an exterior of a first and a second side wall of the mounting member lock into the locking frames on the upper surface of the battery cell.

13. The temperature sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the center of the contact surface coincides with a center of the trajectory connecting the pressing point pressed by the elastic member.

14. The temperature sensor according to claim 13 , the mounting member is a cover shape for covering the sensor main body and the elastic member.

15. The temperature sensor according to claim 13 , wherein the elastic member is a coil spring, and the trajectory connecting the pressing point pressed by the coil spring is a circular form.

16. The temperature sensor according to claim 15 , the mounting member is a cover shape for covering the sensor main body and the elastic member.

Assignees

• Yazaki Corp

Inventors

• Tanaka Hiraku
• Sakamoto Akinori

Classifications

• G01K1/143

  for measuring surface temperatures · CPC title

• G01K7/22 Primary

  the element being a non-linear resistance, e.g. thermistor (G01K7/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01K1/14 Primary

  Supports; Fastening devices; Arrangements for mounting thermometers in particular locations · CPC title

• G01K1/16

  Special arrangements for conducting heat from the object to the sensitive element · CPC title

• G01K2205/00

  Application of thermometers in motors, e.g. of a vehicle · CPC title