Flexible interconnect structure for a sensor assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9723719-B2
Application number	US-201615263587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2016
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

This disclosure provides example methods, devices, and systems for a flexible interconnect structure for a sensor assembly. In one configuration, a flexible interconnect structure may couple a first portion of a differential sensor structure to a second portion of the differential sensor structure. Further, the flexible interconnect structure may couple the differential sensor structure to an external component such as a circuit board, used to receive measurement information from the differential sensor.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method, comprising:
configuring a first sensor structure configured to measure a first pressure;
configuring a second sensor structure configured to measure a second pressure;
configuring a main connector to interface with an external component;
assembling a flexible interconnect structure, the assembling comprising:
electrically coupling a first rigid section with the first sensor structure;
electrically coupling a first flexible section with the first rigid section, the first flexible section having a frontend;
electrically coupling a second rigid section with the second sensor structure, the second rigid section having a frontend in electrical communication with a backend of the first flexible section;
electrically coupling a frontend of a second flexible section with a backend of the second rigid section;
electrically coupling a third rigid section with the main connector, the third rigid section having a frontend in electrical communication with a backend of the second flexible section, wherein the third rigid section is configured to receive signals from the first sensor structure and the second sensor structure;

installing, in a housing, the flexible interconnect structure; and
connecting the flexible interconnect structure to the first sensor structure, the second sensor structure, and the main connector;
wherein each of the first rigid section, the second rigid section, and the third rigid section is an independently rigid printed circuit board (PCB) integrated with the flexible interconnect structure and wherein each of the first sensor structure and the second sensor structure comprises: a header; a sensor element; and one or more header pins coupled to the header and electrically coupled to the sensor element.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring the first flexible section and the second flexible section to bend within a cavity formed by the housing.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising mounting the first rigid section and the second rigid section to the respective header for electrical communication with the respective sensor element.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring an applied pressure with one or more of the first sensor structure and the second sensor structure.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring a difference in pressure between the first sensor structure and the second sensor structure.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first sensor structure and the second sensor structure are configured as redundant pressure sensors.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor structure forms a first half of a Wheatstone bridge and the second sensor structure forms a second half of the Wheatstone bridge.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor structure includes a first conductor and a second conductor, wherein the first conductor is coupled to a first connection point and the second conductor is coupled to a second connection point;
wherein the second sensor structure includes a third conductor and a fourth conductor, wherein the third conductor is coupled to a third connection point and the fourth conductor is coupled to a fourth connection point; and
wherein the main connector includes a fifth conductor, a sixth conductor and a seventh conductor, wherein the fifth conductor is coupled to a fifth connection point, the sixth conductor is coupled to a sixth connection point, and the seventh conductor is coupled to a seventh connection point.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh connection points comprise one or more of through hole and plated connection points.

Assignees

• Kulite Semiconductor Products Inc

Inventors

• Derosa Louis
• Gardner Robert

Classifications

• H05K2201/10287

  Metal wires as connectors or conductors · CPC title

• H05K2201/2009

  Reinforced areas, e.g. for a specific part of a flexible printed circuit · CPC title

• H05K1/0393

  Flexible materials (H05K1/038 takes precedence; specific organic compositions are classified in H05K1/0313 and subgroups) · CPC title

• G01L15/00

  Devices or apparatus for measuring two or more fluid pressure values simultaneously · CPC title

• H05K2201/1028

  Thin metal strips as connectors or conductors · CPC title