Sensor system and method for manufacturing a sensor system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9310229-B2
Application number	US-201313757300-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2013
Priority date	Feb 1, 2012
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

A sensor system having a sensor element, a housing in which sensor element is situated and which seals the sensor element from the outside world, at least one first electrical contact element which is electrically coupled with the sensor element; a plug connector, which has at least one second electrical contact element, and at least one spring element which is coupled between the at least one second electrical contact element and the at least one first electrical contact element for electrical contacting, so that the sensor element is electrically connected to the second electrical contact element of the plug connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor system, comprising:
a sensor element;
a housing in which sensor element is situated and which seals the sensor element from the outside world;
at least two first electrical contact elements which are electrically connected to the sensor element;
a plug connector which has at least two second electrical contact elements;
at least two spring elements which are coupled between the at least two second electrical contact elements and the at least two first electrical contact elements for electrical contacting, so that the sensor element is electrically connected to the second electrical contact elements of the plug connector; and
a second seal which is situated between a pressure connection and the housing, wherein the at least two spring elements exert vertical pressure on the second seal, so that the second seal creates a hermetic sealing which separates a medium under pressure to be measured from the first and second electrical contact elements, and wherein the at least two first electrical contact elements are passed through a respective at least two first housing openings in the housing.

2. The sensor system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least two spring elements have a flexible electrically conductive clip which sits on the at least two first electrical contact elements.

3. The sensor system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a first seal which is situated between the plug connector and the housing.

4. The sensor system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sensor element includes a pressure sensor element and the housing has a second housing opening via which the sensor element is connected to the outside world.

5. The sensor system as recited in claim 4 , wherein the pressure connection has a recess in which the housing is accommodated so that the housing is flush, and further comprising a pressure channel which is coupled to the second housing opening so that a medium is conductible through the pressure channel to the sensor element.

6. A sensor system, comprising:
a sensor element;
a housing in which sensor element is situated and which seals the sensor element from the outside world;
at least two first electrical contact elements which are electrically connected to the sensor element;
a plug connector which has at least two second electrical contact elements;
at least two spring elements which are coupled between the at least two second electrical contact elements and the at least two first electrical contact elements for electrical contacting, so that the sensor element is electrically connected to the second electrical contact elements of the plug connector; and
a second seal which is situated between a pressure connection and the housing, wherein the at least two spring elements exert vertical pressure on the second seal, so that the second seal creates a hermetic sealing which separates a medium under pressure to be measured from the first and second electrical contact elements, and wherein the at least two spring elements include a spiral spring and the at least two first electrical contact elements include a connecting pin, the spiral spring being attached to the connecting pin.

7. The sensor system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the spiral spring has a first section having a first spiral diameter, and a second section which is adjacent to the first section and has a second spiral diameter which is smaller than the first spiral diameter.

8. The sensor system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the connecting pin has a first section having a first pin diameter, and a second section which is adjacent to the first section and has a second pin diameter which is smaller than the first pin diameter.

9. A sensor system, comprising:
a sensor element;
a housing in which sensor element is situated and which seals the sensor element from the outside world;
at least two first electrical contact elements which are electrically connected to the sensor element;
a plug connector which has at least two second electrical contact elements;
at least two spring elements which are coupled between the at least two second electrical contact elements and the at least two first electrical contact elements for electrical contacting, so that the sensor element is electrically connected to the second electrical contact elements of the plug connector; and
a second seal which is situated between a pressure connection and the housing, wherein the at least two spring elements exert vertical pressure on the second seal, so that the second seal creates a hermetic sealing which separates a medium under pressure to be measured from the first and second electrical contact elements, and wherein the at least two spring elements include a spiral spring having a tapering shape, and the at least two first electrical contact elements include a connecting pin, the spiral spring being attached to the at least two second electrical contact elements and sitting on the connecting pin at a tapered end.

10. A method for manufacturing a sensor system, comprising:
situating a sensor element, the sensor element including a pressure sensor element, in a housing which seals the sensor element from the outside world, the housing having a second housing opening, via which the sensor element is connected to the outside world;
electrically contacting at least two first electrical contact elements with the sensor element;
testing functionality of the sensor element in the housing;
after the testing, connecting a plug connector having at least two second electrical contact elements to the housing via at least two spring elements which are coupled between the at least two second electrical contact elements and the at least two first electrical contact elements, so that the sensor element is electrically connected to the second electrical contact elements of the plug connector; and
connecting a pressure connection which has a pressure channel to the housing, so that a medium is conductible through the pressure channel and the second housing opening to the sensor element, wherein
a second seal is placed between the pressure connection and the housing, and the at least two spring elements exert vertical pressure on the second seal, so that the second seal creates a hermetic sealing which separates the pressure channel from the first and second electrical contact elements, and
the at least two first electrical contact elements are passed through a respective at least two first housing openings in the housing.

Assignees

• Herderich Hans-Juergen
• Irslinger Hans-Martin
• Kurle Juergen
• Guffarth Florian
• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Herderich Hans-Juergen
• Irslinger Hans-Martin
• Kurle Juergen
• Guffarth Florian

Classifications

• G01L19/0084

  to the outside of the housing (other details about the housing see G01L19/14) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49004

  including measuring or testing of device or component part · CPC title

• G01D11/245 Primary

  Housings for sensors · CPC title

• G01D11/30 Primary

  Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments · CPC title