Vehicle sensing system with ultrasonic transducer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10877137-B2
Application number	US-201715828471-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2017
Priority date	Dec 2, 2016
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A method of making a sensing unit for a sensing system of a vehicle includes providing a first housing portion, a second housing portion, and a transducer having a piezo element. The transducer is placed in the first housing portion at the closed transducer end of the first housing portion. A dampening ring is disposed in the first housing portion between the closed transducer end and the first open receiving end of the first housing portion. A compression ring is provided and disposed at least partially into the first open receiving end of the first housing portion with wires electrically connecting the piezo element to the pins of the compression ring in the first housing portion. A PCB is disposed in the second housing portion and electrically connected to terminals of a connector portion of the second housing portion. The first housing portion is attached to the second housing portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of making an ultrasonic sensing unit for an ultrasonic sensing system of a vehicle, said method comprising:
providing a first housing portion comprising a first open receiving end and a transducer end, the transducer end having an opening;
providing a transducer having a piezo element, the transducer comprising a transducer housing with the piezo element disposed at one end of the transducer housing and an attaching flange at the other end of the transducer housing;
providing a dampening ring at and around the attaching flange of the transducer housing, wherein the opening at the transducer end of the first housing portion has a cross dimension that is smaller than a cross dimension of the dampening ring at the attaching flange;
inserting the transducer and the dampening ring into the first open receiving end of the first housing portion and disposing the dampening ring and attaching flange at the transducer end of the first housing portion;
providing a compression ring having electrically conductive pins protruding therefrom;
electrically connecting wires of the piezo element to the pins of the compression ring;
pressing the compression ring at least partially into the first open receiving end of the first housing portion and pressing the compression ring against the dampening ring with the wires electrically connecting the piezo element to the pins of the compression ring in the first housing portion;
providing a second housing portion comprising a connector portion configured to electrically connect to a connector of a wire harness of a vehicle;
wherein the second housing portion has a second open receiving end;
disposing a printed circuit board (PCB) in the second open receiving end of the second housing portion;
wherein disposing the PCB in the second open receiving end of the second housing portion comprises electrically connecting the PCB to terminals of the connector portion; and
attaching the first housing portion at the second housing portion, wherein attaching the first housing portion at the second housing portion comprises electrically connecting the pins of the compression ring at the first housing portion to the PCB at the second housing portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein attaching the first housing portion at the second housing portion comprises mating the first open receiving end of the first housing portion at the second open receiving end of the second housing portion.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second housing portion comprises structure having a rear wall opposite the second open receiving end at which the first housing portion is attached, and wherein the rear wall is formed as part of the second housing portion and is not removable therefrom.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first open receiving end of the first housing portion comprises an opening circumscribed by a wall of the first housing portion, and wherein the transducer is inserted into the first housing portion through the opening and disposed at the transducer end, which is opposite from the first open receiving end of the first housing portion.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second open receiving end of the second housing portion comprises an opening circumscribed by a wall of the second housing portion, and wherein the PCB is placed in the second housing portion through the opening.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the dampening ring comprises molding the dampening ring around the attaching flange to at least partially encapsulate the attaching flange of the transducer housing.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the terminals of the connecting portion are insert molded in the second housing portion.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the terminals of the connecting portion are received through apertures of the PCB as the PCB is disposed in the second open receiving end of the second housing portion.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein disposing the PCB in the second open receiving end of the second housing portion comprises press fitting the PCB in the second open receiving end of the second housing portion.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first housing portion has a first cross dimension at the transducer end and a second cross dimension at the first open receiving end, and wherein the second cross dimension is larger than the first cross dimension.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the dampening ring at and around the attaching flange of the transducer housing comprises insert molding the dampening ring at the transducer housing.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein attaching the first housing portion at the second housing portion comprises partially receiving the first open receiving end of the first housing portion at the second open receiving end of the second housing portion.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein attaching the first housing portion at the second housing portion comprises laser welding the first and second housing portions together.

14. A method of making an ultrasonic sensing unit for an ultrasonic sensing system of a vehicle, said method comprising:
providing a first housing portion comprising a first open receiving end and a transducer end, the transducer end having an opening;
providing a transducer having a piezo element, the transducer comprising a transducer housing with the piezo element disposed at one end of the transducer housing and an attaching flange at the other end of the transducer housing;
providing a dampening ring at and around the attaching flange of the transducer housing, wherein the opening at the transducer end of the first housing portion has a cross dimension that is smaller than a cross dimension of the dampening ring at the attaching flange;
inserting the transducer and the dampening ring into the first open receiving end of the first housing portion and disposing the dampening ring and attaching flange at the transducer end of the first housing portion;
providing a compression ring having electrically conductive pins protruding therefrom;
electrically connecting wires of the piezo element to the pins of the compression ring;
pressing the compression ring at least partially into the first open receiving end of the first housing portion and pressing the compression ring against the dampening ring with the wires electrically connecting the piezo element to the pins of the compression ring in the first housing portion;
providing a second housing portion comprising a connector portion configured to electrically connect to a connector of a wire harness of a vehicle;
wherein the second housing portion has a second open receiving end;
wherein the second housing portion comprises structure having a rear wall opposite the second open receiving end at which the first housing portion is attached, and wherein the rear wall is formed as part of the second housing portion and is not removable therefrom;
disposing a printed circuit board (PCB) in the second open receiving end of the second housing portion;
wherein disposing the PCB in the second open receiving end of the second housing portion comprises electrically connecting the PCB to terminals of the connector portion;
wherein the terminals of the connecting portion are insert molded in the second housing portion;
attaching the first housing portion at the second housing portion, wherein attaching the first housing portion at the second housing portion comprises electrically connecting the pins of the compression ring at the first housing portion to the PCB at the second housing portion; and
wherein attaching the first housing portion at the s

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Schmitt Werner
• Kung Henry
• Chen Tzu-Nan
• Wodrich Helmut A

Classifications

• G10K9/22

  Mountings; Casings · CPC title

• G01S2015/938

  in the bumper area · CPC title

• G01S15/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G10K9/122

  using piezoelectric driving means {(G10K9/121 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01S7/521 Primary

  Constructional features · CPC title