Sensor dome arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11092514-B2
Application number	US-201615766919-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2016
Priority date	Oct 9, 2015
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A sensor dome arrangement has a sensor dome and a housing wall, which is particularly a transmission wall. The sensor dome includes a sensor, dome contacts which are electrically connected to the sensor, and a dome housing. The dome housing has a first dome housing section in which the sensor is arranged, and a second dome housing section on or in which the dome contacts are arranged. A through-opening is made in the housing wall, and the sensor dome is attached to the housing wall such that at least one outer surface of the first dome housing section faces a first chamber which is adjacent to the sensor dome and an inner side of the housing wall, and such that the dome contacts face a second chamber which is adjacent to the sensor dome and an outer side of the housing wall.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sensor dome arrangement, comprising:
a housing wall having an inner side and an outer side located opposite said inner side, said housing wall having a dome through-opening formed therein and extending between said inner side and said outer side;
a sensor dome attached to said housing wall and projecting in said dome through-opening, said sensor dome having a dome housing with a first dome housing section and a second dome housing section, said sensor dome including a sensor disposed in said first dome housing section and dome contacts disposed in said second dome housing section and electrically connected to said sensor; and
a seal;
said first dome housing section having an outer surface facing toward a first chamber adjoining said sensor dome and said inner side of said housing wall, and said dome contacts facing toward a second chamber adjoining said sensor dome and said outer side of said housing wall;
said housing wall being an outer wall of a transmission, and said first chamber being an interior of the transmission, in which gear wheels are located;
said dome housing having a connecting section being a flange formed between said first dome housing section and said second dome housing section;
said flange extending along said housing wall in said second chamber;
wherein said flange is confined within said second chamber and said flange is fastened to said housing wall;
wherein said seal is located between said housing wall and said flange that is confined within said second chamber; and
wherein only said sensor dome is present in said dome through-opening.

2. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor dome and said seal are attached to said housing wall to form a closure of said dome through-opening, and wherein said seal seals a closure between said first chamber and said second chamber.

3. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein said sealed closure forms an oil-tight seal.

4. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein said sealed closure forms a gas-tight seal.

5. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein said sensor is disposed, with respect to a longitudinal direction of said sensor dome, at a greater distance from said seal than said dome contacts.

6. The sensor arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein:
said housing wall is formed with a plurality of through-openings, said sensor dome is one of a plurality of sensor domes, and said seal is one of a plurality of seals;
each one of said sensor domes is attached to said housing wall at a respective one of said through-openings, such that at least one outer surface of said first dome housing section faces said first chamber that adjoins said sensor dome and said inner side of said housing wall, and such that said dome contacts face said second chamber that adjoins said sensor dome and said outer side of said housing wall; and
the respective said sensor dome and said seal are attached to said housing wall to form a closure of the respective said through-opening, such that said seal seals the closure between said first chamber and said second chamber.

7. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 6 , wherein each said sensor dome is connected to a control circuit or is to be connected to said control circuit by way of an electrical plug-in connection.

8. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 1 , which further comprises a fastening device for fastening said sensor dome to said housing wall.

9. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein said connecting section is fastened to form a seal to said outer side of said housing wall by way of said fastening device and said seal.

10. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein with respect to a longitudinal direction of said sensor dome, said first dome housing section is formed on a first side of said flange and said second dome housing section is formed on a second side of said flange.

11. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein said second dome housing section has a plug wall which proceeds from said flange and extends around said dome contacts, and is circumferentially closed in a ring shape.

12. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein said seal has a sealing ring inserted into a groove formed on an outer side of said wall or in said connecting section.

13. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said dome housing comprises plastic or consists of plastic and said sensor is embedded in said plastic.

14. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said dome contacts are insulation-piercing contacts or blade contacts.

15. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 1 , which further comprises a control circuit having circuit contacts to be electrically connected to said dome contacts.

16. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 15 , wherein said dome contacts and said circuit contacts are configured to bring about an electrically conductive plug-in connection, formed as a plug-in terminal connection between one dome contact each and one circuit contact each.

17. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 15 , wherein said dome contacts and said circuit contacts are constructed in a manner selected from the group consisting of:
group 1) said dome contacts are insulation-piercing contacts and said circuit contacts are blade contacts; and
group 2) said dome contacts are blade contacts and said circuit contacts are insulation-piercing contacts.

18. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 15 , wherein said second dome housing section has a plug wall which proceeds from said flange and extends around said dome contacts, and is circumferentially closed in a ring shape, wherein said circuit contacts lead from said control circuit into a plug which has a plug base and a plug collar that proceeds from said plug base, wherein said plug collar is closed along a plug circumference, wherein said circuit contacts protrude beyond said plug base, and wherein said plug collar and said plug wall overlap one another in a plugging direction of an electrical plug-in connection formed by said circuit contacts and said dome contacts.

19. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 15 , wherein said control circuit is an electronic circuit configured for performing open-loop and/or closed-loop control of the transmission.

20. The sensor dome arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said second chamber is sealed overall from said first chamber.

21. A sensor dome arrangement, comprising:
a housing wall having an inner side and an outer side located opposite said inner side, said housing wall having a dome through-opening formed therein and extending between said inner side and said outer side;
a sensor dome attached to said housing wall and projecting in said dome through-opening, said sensor dome having a dome housing with a first dome housing section and a second dome housing section, a sensor disposed in said first dome housing section and dome contacts disposed in said second dome housing section and electrically connected to said sensor; and
a seal;
said first dome housing section having an outer surface facing toward a first chamber adjoining said sensor dome and said inner side of said housing wall, and said dome contacts facing toward a second chamber adjoining said sensor dome and said outer side of said housing wall;
said housing wall being an outer wa

Assignees

• Conti Temic Microelectronic Gmbh

Inventors

• Albert Andreas
• Buhl Joachim
• Bueyuekbas Turhan
• Plach Andreas
• Wieczorek Matthias

Classifications

• H05K5/0082 Primary

  specially adapted for transmission control units, e.g. gearbox controllers · CPC title

• H01R2201/26

  for vehicles · CPC title

• H05K5/065

  sealed by encapsulation, e.g. waterproof resin forming an integral casing, injection moulding · CPC title

• G01M15/02 Primary

  Details or accessories of testing apparatus · CPC title

• H01R4/2404

  the contact members having teeth, prongs, pins or needles penetrating the insulation · CPC title