Pressure Sensor Assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017191895-A1
Application number	US-201514986574-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 31, 2015
Priority date	Dec 31, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A pressure sensor assembly having a sensor unit, a pressure port, and an electrical connector. The sensor unit may include a printed circuit board (PCB), a pressure sensor, a support, and a media isolation layer. The PCB may have a first side and an opposite second side, where the pressure sensor may be secured to the first side. The support may also be secured to the first side of the PCB and may circumferentially surround the pressure sensor and/or may define a media sensing opening. The media isolation layer (e.g., a gel or other material) may be provided in the media sensing opening and encase the pressure sensor, where the media isolation layer may transfer a pressure provided by the media in the pressure port to the pressure sensor and may act as a barrier between the media and the pressure sensor.

First claim

1 . A pressure sensor assembly comprising:
a sensor unit having a first side and an opposite second side with a pressure input port on the first side, the sensor unit including:
a printed circuit board having a first side and an opposite second side;
a pressure sensor including a pressure sense element, the pressure sensor is secured to the first side of the printed circuit board;
a support secured to the first side of the printed circuit board, the support circumferentially surrounding the pressure sensor and defining a media sensing opening;
a media isolation layer encasing the pressure sensor within the media sensing opening, the media isolation layer transferring a pressure caused by a sense media to the pressure sensor;
a pressure port having a fluid path that extends from an external side of the pressure port to an internal side of the pressure port, wherein a first side of the support is secured relative to the internal side of the pressure port such that the fluid path of the pressure port is in fluid communication with the media isolation layer in the media sensing opening; and an electrical connector including a mechanical connector and one or more electrical terminals, wherein at least one of the one or more electrical terminals of the electrical connector are electrically connected to an output of the sensor unit.

2 . The pressure sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector includes a housing and the housing of the electrical connector engages the second side of the printed circuit board.

3 . The pressure sensor assembly of claim 2 , wherein one or more of the one or more electrical terminals includes a compliant pin electrically and mechanically connected to the printed circuit board.

4 . The pressure sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the support of the sensor unit has a first side and a second side; the first side of the support engages a shoulder of the internal side of the pressure port and the second side of the support engages the first side of the printed circuit board.

5 . The pressure sensor assembly of claim 4 , further comprising:
an o-ring secured between the second side of the support and the internal side of the pressure port.

6 . The pressure sensor assembly of claim 5 , wherein the internal side of the pressure port includes a recess for receiving at least part of the o-ring.

7 . The pressure sensor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) secured to the first side of the printed circuit board.

8 . The pressure sensor assembly of claim 7 , wherein the pressure sensor, the support, and the ASIC are secured to first side of the printed circuit board with an adhesive layer.

9 . The pressure sensor assembly claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor is a top side sensing pressure sensor with a sealed chamber between a back side of the pressure sensor and the first side of the printed circuit board.

10 . The pressure sensor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
an opening extending between the first side of the printed circuit board and the second side of the printed circuit board, wherein the opening is in fluid communication with a chamber defined between a back side of the pressure sensor and the first side of the printed circuit board.

11 . A sensor comprising:
a printed circuit board having a first side and a second side; a pressure sensor having a top side and a back side, the back side of the pressure sensor is mounted to the first side of the printed circuit board; a support secured to the first side of the printed circuit board, the support defines a pressure sensor aperture that is configured to receive the pressure sensor when the support is secured to the first side of the printed circuit board; a gel provided in the pressure sensor aperture of the support and over the top side of the pressure sensor, the gel configured to be in fluid communication with a sensed media and to transfer pressure of the sensed media to the top side of the pressure sensor; and wherein the support further defines at least one other apertures that is configured to receive one or more other components attached to the first side of the printed circuit board.

12 . The sensor of claim 11 , wherein the support is a gel ring.

13 . The sensor of claim 11 , wherein the one or more other components comprises an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) secured to the first side of the printed circuit board.

14 . The sensor of claim 13 , wherein the pressure sensor, the support, and the ASIC are attached to the printed circuit board with a layer of adhesive.

15 . The sensor of claim 13 , wherein the support includes two or more alignment features that are configured to engage two or more alignment features of the printed circuit board to align the support to the printed circuit board.

16 . The sensor of claim 15 , wherein the two or more alignment features of the support comprises two or more alignment pins that extend into two or more corresponding apertures in the printed circuit board.

17 . The sensor of claim 11 , wherein the support is plastic.

18 . The sensor of claim 11 , wherein a sealed chamber is located between the back side of the pressure sensor and the first side of the printed circuit board.

19 . The sensor of claim 11 , further comprising:
an opening extending between the first side of the printed circuit board and the second side of the printed circuit board, wherein the opening is in fluid communication with a chamber defined between the back side of the pressure sensor and the first side of the printed circuit board.

20 . A pressure sensor assembly comprising:
a pressure port for receiving an input pressure of a sensed media; an electrical connector including a mechanical connector and two or more electrical terminals; a sensor unit disposed in a space defined between the pressure port and the electrical connector, the sensor unit having a top-side sensing pressure sensor for sensing the input pressure of the sensed media presented by the pressure port and providing one or more pressure output signals on one or more pressure signal output terminals; the sensor unit including:
a printed circuit board with a first side and a second side;
the top-side sensing pressure sensor is secured to the first side of the printed circuit board;
a gel ring situated between the first side of the printed circuit board and the pressure port;
a gel covering the top-side sensing pressure sensor, the gel providing a barrier between the top-side sensing pressure sensor and the sensed media, wherein the gel interacts directly with a pressure of the sensed media to transfer an input pressure to the top-side sensing pressure sensor; and
a seal situated between the gel ring and the pressure port.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Eckhardt Todd
• Ricks Lamar Floyd

Classifications

• G01L19/147 Primary

  Details about the mounting of the sensor to support or covering means · CPC title

• G01L19/0092

  Pressure sensor associated with other sensors, e.g. for measuring acceleration or temperature (G01L9/025, G01L9/045, G01L9/065, G01L9/085, G01L9/105, G01L9/125, G01L19/02, G01L19/04 take precedence; measuring two or more variable G01D21/02; temperature sensors with pressure compensation G01K1/26) · CPC title

• G01L19/148

  Details about the circuit board integration, e.g. integrated with the diaphragm surface or encapsulation · CPC title

• G01L19/0627

  Protection against aggressive medium in general · CPC title

• G01L19/0038

  being part of the housing (other details about the housing G01L19/14) · CPC title