Air mass sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12596025-B2
Application number	US-202218552598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2022
Priority date	Mar 30, 2021
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

Various embodiments of the teachings herein include an air mass sensor for determining an air mass flow rate. The sensor may include: a housing defining an electronics chamber; and sensor electronics at least partly located in the electronics chamber. The housing defines a duct providing passage for a gas to flow through the housing. The housing defines an opening connecting the duct and the electronics chamber. The electronics chamber forms a pressure compensation volume for the duct.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An air mass sensor for determining an air mass flow rate, the sensor comprising:
a housing defining an electronics chamber; and sensor electronics at least partly located in the electronics chamber; wherein the housing defines a duct providing passage for a gas to flow through the housing; and the housing defines an opening connecting the duct and the electronics chamber; wherein the electronics chamber forms a pressure compensation volume for the duct.

2 . The air mass sensor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a free volume of the electronics chamber is more than 0.5 cm3 and less than 20 cm3.

3 . The air mass sensor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the opening defines a gap with a height between 0.02 mm and 0.3 mm inclusive.

4 . The air mass sensor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the opening has, at least in portions, a polygonal cross-section, and/or at least in portions, a circular or arcuate cross-section.

5 . The air mass sensor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the opening has, at least in portions, a height between 0.02 mm and 3 mm inclusive; and/or the opening has, at least in portions, a width between 0.5 mm and 10 mm inclusive.

6 . The air mass sensor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the air mass sensor measures one or more of:
pressure of the air mass flow, humidity of the air mass flow, and temperature of the air mass flow.

7 . The air mass sensor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a measuring element of the sensor electronics comprises a thermal measuring element.

8 . The air mass sensor as claimed in claim 7 , wherein: the opening is arranged at least in portions downstream of a measuring element of the sensor electronics,
the opening is arranged at least in portions upstream of a measuring element of the sensor electronics, and/or the opening is arranged at least in portions at the level of a measuring element of the sensor electronics.

9 . The air mass sensor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the opening is set at a distance to a measuring element ( 24 ) of the sensor electronics less than 10 mm; the opening has a height greater than a width and is set at a distance to the measuring element less than 10 mm; and/or the opening has a height greater than a width and is set at a distance to the measuring element at most ten times the width of the opening.

10 . A motor vehicle comprising:
an air flow path; and an air mass sensor for determining an air mass flow rate passing through the air flow path, the sensor comprising:
a housing defining an electronics chamber; and
sensor electronics at least partly located in the electronics chamber;
wherein the housing defines a duct providing passage for a gas to flow through the housing; and the housing defines an opening connecting the duct and the electronics chamber; wherein the electronics chamber forms a pressure compensation volume for the duct.

11 . The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising an internal combustion engine;
wherein the air flow path includes an intake line of the internal combustion engine.

Assignees

• Vitesco Tech Gmbh

Inventors

• Heiss Marion
• Meyer Andreas
• Weininger Holger
• Lesser Martin
• Millies Thomas
• Sotkovsky Radim
• Kusyn Petr

Classifications

• G01F15/14

  Casings, e.g. of special material · CPC title

• G01F1/6842

  with means for influencing the fluid flow · CPC title

• G01F15/00

  Details of, or accessories for, apparatus of groups G01F1/00 - G01F13/00 insofar as such details or appliances are not adapted to particular types of such apparatus · CPC title

• G01F1/688 Primary

  using a particular type of heating, cooling or sensing element {(G01F1/6847 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01F5/00 Primary

  Measuring a proportion of the volume flow · CPC title