Small form factor pressure sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9568388-B2
Application number	US-201414451926-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2014
Priority date	Aug 5, 2014
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A small form factor Microfused Silicon Strain gage (MSG) sensor incorporates an offset spring and feed-in features. A pressure sensor includes a spring having first and second coiled sections offset by a coiled center section in a middle that is used to make offset contact between two electrical contact pads.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pressure sensor comprising:
a spring having first and second coiled sections connected to and offset by a coiled center section in a middle of the spring that is used to make offset contact between two electrical contact pads; and
first and second housing interlocking components where the first coiled section is contained within a bore of the first housing interlocking component and the second coiled section is contained in a bore of the second housing interlocking component, the first and second housing interlocking components joined at the coiled center section of the spring.

2. The pressure sensor of claim 1 wherein the offset comprises an approximate offset amount determined by subtracting an active coil diameter of the first and second coiled sections from a diameter of the coiled center section.

3. The pressure sensor of claim 1 wherein the first housing interlocking component is designed such that a force generated when the spring is compressed is supported in a normal direction by a mating force of the second housing interlocking.

4. The pressure sensor of claim 1 wherein the bores in the first and second housing interlocking components comprise feed-in features to aid in spring loading and accommodate positional tolerance between the first and second coiled sections.

5. The pressure sensor of claim 1 wherein the bore in the first housing interlocking component comprises a counterbored feature to accept the center coiled section to rotationally align the spring prior to installation of the second interlocking component.

6. The pressure sensor of claim 5 wherein the first housing interlocking component further comprises a keyed alignment guide with deformable crush ribs regions to accept crush ribs from the second interlocking component to provide positioning and anti-rotation to prevent damage or binding of the spring.

7. The pressure sensor of claim 1 wherein the first and second housing interlocking components are injection molded plastic.

8. The pressure sensor of claim 1 wherein the center section enables spring retention by the first housing interlocking component and the second housing interlocking component.

9. The pressure sensor of claim 1 further comprising an electronics module assembly adapted to snap fit to the first and second housing interlocking components.

10. The pressure sensor of claim 9 wherein the electronics module assembly comprises:
a support ring; and
a printed circuit board.

11. The pressure sensor of claim 10 wherein the support ring comprises one or more strain gages coupled to a sense element.

12. The pressure sensor of claim 9 further comprising an EMC shield positioned between the electronics module assembly and the first and second housing interlocking components, the EMC shield grounded by bent metal features.

Assignees

• Bousquet Cory Z
• Park June
• Sensata Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Bousquet Cory Z
• Park June

Classifications

• H01R13/2421

  using coil springs · CPC title

• G01L19/147

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

• G01L19/148

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

• G01R1/06716

  Elastic · CPC title

• G01L19/0069 Primary

  from the sensor to its support · CPC title